Fire contained at Wichita landfill, but smoke could affect drivers

Wind is pushing smoke across K-96 just west of I-235 in northwest Wichita from a contained landfill fire just south of that area, Sedgwick County officials said in a news release Wednesday morning.

Drivers should be cautious when passing through the areas, officials said.

Cornejo & Sons, which owns Construction, Demolition & Recycle landfill at 4250 W. 37th St. North, where the fire started Tuesday night, put up signs along the highway to let drivers know there is no reason to call 911.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Only waste material has burned.

Sedgwick County Fire District 1 was called about the fire at 8 p.m. on Tuesday. Firefighters found a large tree, stump and brush pile on fire.

“Firefighters doused the flames with a large amount of water overnight, and the blaze is now contained but still burning,” officials said. “Because of a limited water supply in the area and windy conditions today, SCFD 1 leadership has decided to let the fire burn itself out, but will keep crews on scene to ensure the flames do not spread. Cornejo & Sons also has several crew members on site and is assisting fire crews.”

The burn pile is now estimated at 60 feet wide, 100 feet long and nearly 20 feet tall, the release says.

This story was originally published April 16, 2025 at 10:03 AM.