Wildfire in Seward, Kansas

Wildfire February 17, 2026 – February 20, 2026 · Seward, Kansas

What the National Weather Service wrote

The Stevens Fire began in Texan County, OK in the early afternoon of February 17 and moved into Kansas later in the afternoon driven by high winds and low relative humidity. Exact acreage burned in Seward County is unknown, but the fire burned a total 13,937 acres. Precautionary evacuations were posted for the southwest corner of Seward County. The fire was controlled on February 20th.

The wider storm

Strong mid-upper level trough ejected into the Plains early on February 17 which led to a rapid deepening of a surface cyclone. Strong winds developed behind the cold frontal passage, leading to numerous high wind reports across central and western Kansas. Large wildfires spread quickly as a result of the strong winds.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 1319954. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

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