Deadly #Colorado, #Kansas pileups, fast-moving Plains #wildfires fueled by #DangerousWinds

#BlowingDust created near-zero visibility on I-25 near Pueblo, killing 4 people, while the same powerful #windstorm fueled fast-moving wildfires and triggered additional crashes across the Plains.

By Emilee Speck, AccuWeather staff writer & Brian Lada, AccuWeather meteorologist
Published Feb 17, 2026

"Powerful winds kicking up dust across the Plains contributed to multiple fatal crashes and sparked rapidly spreading wildfires on Tuesday as dry grasses fueled fast-moving flames.

"Heavy winds created dangerous 'brown out' conditions along Interstate 25 near Pueblo, Colorado, on the morning of Feb. 17, with a massive multi-vehicle crash happening amid low to near-zero visibility. The Colorado State Patrol responded around 10:02 a.m. MST to the crash on southbound I-25 at milepost 92, just south of Pueblo Boulevard. Preliminary findings indicate more than 30 vehicles were involved, including six semis.

"Authorities have confirmed four fatalities, and 29 people were transported to hospitals, though the extent of their injuries remains unknown."

[...]

"[W]est of Oakley, #Kansas, another multi-vehicle pileup occurred on I-70 during low visibility caused by blowing dust, underscoring the widespread travel hazards created by the powerful windstorm. Winds in the area were gusting around 60 mph at the time the crash was reported.

"In #Oklahoma, a fast-growing wildfire in the Oklahoma panhandle, east of Beaver, quickly spread into Kansas."

Read more:
https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/deadly-colorado-kansas-pileups-fast-moving-plains-wildfires-fueled-by-dangerous-winds/1864790

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