Governor Laura Kelly issued a verbal disaster declaration today at 5:38 p.m. to support local communities with state fire suppression resources. This declaration allows resources to be used to provide state assistance.
“Anyone who has lived in Kansas very long knows it is not wise to wait until a wildland fire has started to respond,” said Governor Laura Kelly. “We want to prepare for that possibility so we can quickly support local fire departments and other first responders if needed.”
The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for the state except for the southeast region which remains in a Fire Weather Watch. South/southwest winds of 10-20 mph with gusts to 40 mph, and relative humidity as low as five percent will be possible. A cold front will push into the state Sunday, and north winds up to 45 mph will overlap with warmer than normal temperatures. Weather conditions will create critical to near critical fire weather conditions over the next week.
“The weather conditions Kansas is experiencing, combined with the recent freeze kill and green up will have little to no effect on fire behavior until we receive significant moisture,” said Bill Waln, Kansas Forest Service Fire Management Officer. “Landowners burning and fire departments responding to wildfires should expect controlling fires to be more challenging than they have experienced in the past.”
All Kansans can do their part to lessen the potential for wildland fires. Outdoor burning is discouraged, and residents should use extreme caution with any activity, such as outdoor barbecues and smoking, that could spark a fire, as fires could spread rapidly under current conditions.
The Kansas Division of Management will have the State Emergency Operations Center staffed with personnel from the Kansas Forest Service, Office of the State Fire Marshal, the Kansas National Guard, Kansas Department of Transportation, National Weather Service, and other state agencies as needed.