Easter Snow, Rain Help Crews In Huge Kansas Wildfire

Firefighters grappling with the biggest wildfire in Kansas history got a welcomed Easter assist from pre-dawn snow that blanketed the hardest-hit area.

The National Weather Service says about a half an inch of precipitation in the form of rain and snow fell early Sunday southwest of Wichita in Barber County.

Shawna Hartman, a Kansas Forest Service spokeswoman, says roughly one-third of that dayslong blaze has been contained. The fire has scorched more than 620 square miles in Oklahoma and southern Kansas, including 427 square miles of Barber County.

The Kansas Adjutant General's Office says six homes have been destroyed and some livestock has been lost. Three bridges and one railroad trestle also have been damaged or destroyed. No people have been seriously injured.