‘Looked like the devil had come to town’: Meade County woman loses family home in wildfires
By Kate Devine
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MEADE, Kansas (KAKE) — As wildfires continue burning across southwest Kansas, one Meade County woman is sharing the emotional story of losing the home her family says has been in their family for generations.
Jamie Post stood in the ashes of what was once her home, describing the devastation left behind after fires scorched more than 92,000 acres in Meade County.
“It just looked like the devil had come to town,” Post said. “I didn’t feel safe.”
According to the Kansas Forest Service, the Meade Lake Complex fire has burned approximately 92,733 acres. Officials said crews have continued working to gain control of the fire as dry conditions, triple-digit heat and shifting winds fueled flare-ups throughout the week.
Post said the fires started after lightning strikes south of Meade Lake.
“We had lightning strikes, several lightning strikes south of here by the Mead Lake, and then we had the high heat and the winds were just constantly changing, constantly whipping around,” Post said. “It’s dry here. We haven’t had any moisture for months.”
Post said she initially believed her home had survived the fire.
“They started sometime Thursday late afternoon, and then I didn’t know if I’d have a house Friday morning,” Post said. “Then Juan texted me, I don’t know if it was about 9 o’clock in the morning, and showed me a picture that my house had survived.”
But hours later, conditions changed.
“My other neighbor and some other people came out, and they said everything looks good, the house is intact,” Post said. “We didn’t smell any smoldering. We had a couple branches smoldering, but nothing that would touch the house. Then that afternoon, the heat got over 100, the wind switched, and it ignited my asphalt roof.”
Post said leaving the home to rest may have saved her life.
“I would have been gone. Me and Cooper wouldn’t be here today,” she said. “The wind picked up and I wouldn’t have had time to get out because my bedroom was on that side.”
The land had been in Post’s family for decades.
“Her granddad bought the ranch around 1935 or 1937,” Post said. “I’ve lived here since about 1992.”
Her mother, Carole T. Post, also grew up on the property.
“It’s just sad,” Carole Post said. “It’s where I grew up. That’s where I used to live.”
Carole Post said seeing the destruction has been difficult.
“It makes me feel terrible,” she said. “I didn’t see how fire could destroy so much. It was so pretty here before.”
Post said another longtime community member, nearly 90-year-old Frances “Red” Dye, also lost his home in the fires.
“He always helped everybody all the time,” Post said. “He did anything he could.”
She said Dye had left home to get out of the heat shortly before his house burned.
“He didn’t have electricity or water,” Post said. “He got hot and wanted something to drink, so he left his house and went into town. Not too long after that, his house went up.”
Despite the devastation, Post said support from the community has been overwhelming.
“Out here in southwest Kansas, we’re hardworking farmers and ranchers,” Post said. “We love the ground, we love our community, we help each other out.”
Post said while the fire destroyed nearly everything around her, she is trying to focus on faith and moving forward.
“It empties you out, so that you can bring God in and fully have your eyes on Him, and not things,” Post said. “Seeing this is like, wow, I had too many things that kept me from being closer to God, and so I feel cleansed.”
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