photo by: Courtesy of Douglas County

Crews work near the scene of a grass fire in rural Douglas County in March 2025.

Due to two large grass fires on Wednesday that are now under control, Douglas County leaders have declared an emergency, which will let them access state fire prevention resources during Thursday’s windy conditions.

During the County Commission’s meeting on Wednesday, commissioners signed a Declaration of a State of Local Disaster Emergency following the response to two grass fires in the county. According to Kansas statute, a local disaster emergency can be declared if a disaster has occurred or is imminent, and it lasts up to seven days unless extended by the local governing body.

Fire crews from Douglas County and the surrounding area responded to one large grass fire near North 2150 and East 225 roads in northwestern Douglas County around 1:41 p.m. Wednesday, and there was another fire reported nearly an hour later west of Clinton Lake near North 1150 Road and East 100 Road. No injures were reported, and no structures were lost.

The emergency declaration from County Commission Chair Patrick Kelly gives the county access to resources from the Kansas Division of Emergency Management.

“Due to the size of the grass fires in heavily forested areas, a large number of resources from Douglas County and neighboring counties were required to bring the fires under control and mitigate the risk of them spreading,” Deputy Douglas County Emergency Management Director John Stipetich said in a press release from the county. “Resources were requested through the Kansas Division of Emergency Management to provide additional suppression and mitigation on Thursday when winds are expected to cause dangerous fire conditions.”

County Administrator Sarah Plinsky told the Journal-World that disaster emergencies are a standard thing the county does anytime there is some sort of natural disaster inside Douglas County. “They stand up their own emergency operations center so they can help with dispatching,” Plinsky said. “They can help call for mutual aid from other organizations in the state.”

The agencies that responded to Wednesday’s fires included not only departments in Lawrence, Baldwin City, Eudora, Lecompton and rural Douglas County, but also agencies in Franklin County and Johnson County and some state-level agencies like the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, according to the news release.

Douglas County will be under an outdoor burn ban in the unincorporated areas for Thursday due to dry, warm and windy conditions.

“High winds and low humidity create a perfect storm for wildfires,” Stipetich said in the release. “Fires can start and spread quickly under these conditions. Please double check old burn sites, fully extinguish any lingering embers, and report smoke immediately by calling 911.”

In other business, county commissioners:

• Approved grant awards for the 2025 Natural and Cultural Heritage Grant Program as recommended by the Heritage Conservation Council. The grant program provides community organizations and businesses with funding to carry out heritage conservation projects across Douglas County. The program received $210,000 in funding from county commissioners as it was allocated in their annual budget.

As the Journal-World reported, the Heritage Conservation Council recommended funding 12 projects for the program. Overall, the HCC received 26 applications from three cities and four townships across Douglas County, with funding requests totaling over $1 million. This marks the highest number of applications and the largest total funding request since 2014.

• Approved a charter resolution to amend the appointments to the Douglas County Fair Board. The board currently consists of a representative from each township and member from the City of Lawrence.

The board has spent several years trying to find a representative from Grant Township, but no one has been willing to serve, according to a memo in the agenda. The resolution modifies the appointment process in order to allow an additional at-large representative when a township-specific appointee cannot be found. The charter resolution required a two-thirds vote from the County Commission in order to be passed.

• Entered an agreement with P1 Mechanical for upgrades and repairs to an HVAC system for a building at the Public Works facility. The building uses two Daikin Variable Refrigerant Flow units, which are designed to be more energy-efficient than traditional systems. The systems typically last about 10 to 12 years, and the building is now 10 years old, according to a memo in the agenda.

• Approved recommended health care plan changes and employee contribution rates. Some of the changes included expanded chiropractic benefits, enhancements to wellness and mental health programs and more. A memo in the agenda states that sufficient funds are available to accommodate the changes to the plan in the employee benefits fund.

• Approved a contract with Deere & Company for a 2025 John Deere 6M Cab Tractor and John Deere FC10R Flex Ring Rotary Cutter for a total cost of $203,119. The equipment will replace a roadside mowing tractor and rotary used by the Public Works department.

• Heard an overview of the Douglas County Maintenance, IT, GIS and Administration departments. County departments have been presenting updates on their operations and services to the county commissioners during work sessions in the first part of this year, and no action was taken during the session.

* Heard an update on the activities of the Kansas Legislature from Little Government Relations. The presentation was for informational purposes only and no action followed.