Finney County ratifies emergency declaration after Tennis Road wildland fire that scorched thousands of acres

Finney County commissioners ratified Resolution 08-2026 to formalize an emergency declaration issued during a rapid wildland-fire event in mid-February, after Emergency Manager Paul Wrestle described response efforts, mutual aid and the post-event assessment.

Wrestle said the county’s emergency operations center was fully activated amid critical fire-weather conditions. Mutual-aid partners included nearby counties and the National Guard, and local farmers provided irrigation and tankers to support suppression operations. Wrestle told the board initial field estimates of impacted area were as high as 20,000–25,000 acres but GIS-verified final acreage was about 5,400 acres. He said structure loss was limited—one shed and two head of livestock—and no residences were lost.

Wrestle outlined resource staging and logistics: fire units from multiple counties, National Guard personnel and apparatus, local public-works tankers and private fuel support; Garden City provided several brush trucks and tenders. Nightly patrols were assigned as containment reached roughly 95% the following day, and the emergency operations center closed after continued monitoring.

Adoption of Resolution 08-2026 formally ratifies the emergency declaration, aligns county actions with the state disaster proclamation by the governor and positions Finney County to seek potential reimbursement from the Kansas Division of Emergency Management. Wrestle said emergency management is coordinating with state officials to determine eligibility for response-cost reimbursement and will update the board as information becomes available.

A commissioner and others thanked first responders, volunteers and businesses that supported operations. The board approved the resolution by voice vote.

Next steps: emergency management will continue coordination with state agencies on reimbursement eligibility and provide updates to the board.