An estimated 163,000 acres (66,000 ha) burned on the first day wildfires spawned due to dry fuel and strong wind gusts reaching up to 100 mph (160 km/h).

Before December 15, forecasters had predicted that dry air, gusty winds, and warm temperatures could be present throughout the following days, creating conditions favorable for wildfires to spread quickly through the area.

The largest wildfire, the Four County Fire, burned numerous buildings and killed hundreds of cattle along the way with a scorched area of 121,622 acres (49,219 ha).

[7] The National Weather Service had recommended residents of Western and Central Kansas to stay inside their homes due to a high risk of blowing dust.

[8][9] After the windstorm had passed over Kansas, more than 10 wildfires were present in the western and central portions of the state, which burned more than 163,000 acres (66,000 ha) on the first day they were first reported.

By 3:06 a.m. (CST) on Thursday, December 16, the Four County Fire had reached a burned area of approximately 96,000 acres (39,000 ha) and satellites had detected heat from the wildfire seven miles away near Russell, Kansas.

On December 23, the largest wildfire, the Four County Fire, was fully contained and had scorched an area of 121,622 acres (49,219 ha) and destroyed 32 structures.

[20] A total of two fatalities were confirmed of an 84-year-old rancher who lived near the city of Leoti, Kansas, and of a 36-year-old man whose remains were found near his vehicle, which was also burned.

The second fatality, a 36-year-old man named Derrick Kelley, who was first reported missing by his fiancée on Wednesday, December 15, during the wildfire outbreak.

At the time, warm temperatures and low humidity were also present, making conditions even more favorable for the fires burning near the cities of Paradise and Waldo.

[24][9] The wildfire outbreak resulted in a burned area of more than 163,000 acres (66,000 ha) in portions of Western and Central Kansas, leaving the deaths of two individuals and injured three more civilians.