Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback proclaimed Feb. 19-25, 2017 as Wildfire Awareness Week. This is the governor's third consecutive year for designating a week to the cause of wildfire awareness.
As the governor noted in is proclamation, “Wildland fire is a serious public safety concern both locally and nationally, preparation is crucial in preventing the loss of life and property from wildfires, and every Kansas citizen shares this responsibility."
According to fire officials, nearly 95 percent of all wildfires result from the activity of people, and subsequently, a significant number could be prevented by taking proper actions toward fire safety.
The Kansas Forest Service and Kansas Interagency Wildfire Council offer tips and best practices for helping farmers and ranchers to have safe and successful prescribed burns of their fields and pastures, and ensuring a burn doesn't become a wildfire. Check out their website at kansasforests.org under fire management.
Mary Knapp, Weather Data Library
mknapp@ksu.edu