Yesterday, Governor Laura Kelly issued a verbal Declaration of a State of Disaster Emergency due to a high risk of wildland fires and red flag warnings in the majority of Kansas counties. The Declaration authorizes the use of State resources and personnel to assist with response and recovery operations in affected Counties that meet certain criteria.
The majority of the State’s fire weather outlook for this week is in the elevated or critical categories. Conditions across the State are dry with low relative humidity, gusting winds and an abundance of dry grass and other flammable vegetation. That could change today as rain and snow are expected to move in across the area.
There were several fires in our area yesterday. A fire that started on Cloud Road, west of Richmond, burned out of control for several hours, with multiple fire agencies being called in to assist, including the Ottawa Fire Department. Another in Anderson County burned out of control near Harris and the City of Waverly was put on alert to be aware of a fire burning in their area.
The same conditions that were in affect yesterday are still there today. High winds, low humidity, warm temperatures and plenty of dry ground.
