By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Dry conditions persist in Kansas. The latest reports from the Office of the Kansas State Climatologist show most of the state is without drought, but 31 percent of the state, including parts of Pawnee County and all of Stafford County, are abnormally dry. Add in above-average temperatures and high winds, and Barton County Emergency Director Sean Kelly says that spells fire danger.
“Really, fire weather season is supposed to stretch from February through April, is really the peak of it,” he said. “More and more now, with our drought conditions going on and the lack of moisture we’re seeing, we’re seeing fire weather season stretch out year long. It’s really kind of getting unpredictable. We get some of those warmer days in the winter, wind gusts come up, and we see ourselves in a red flag warning.”
Precipitation last fall helped drought measures, but also created new growth. Those “one-hour grasses” have since dried up, creating more fuel for growing fires. Red flag warnings are typically issued when humidity drops and winds of at least 25 miles per hour are sustained with gusts up to 40-50 miles per hour.
“That’s really volatile weather for fire,” Kelly said. “It’s hard to control, it spreads quickly because of those one-hour grass fuels. It doesn’t take long to suck the moisture out of them. We have to be diligent what folks are doing on those types of days, and checking burns that have happened.”
Barton County is currently under a burn restriction, meaning only local fire chiefs can approve a controlled burn. That decision can be based on several factors, including site conditions, what is being burned, and trees and structures around the proposed site. Burn bans are ultimately issued by the Barton County Commission at the request of area fire chiefs.