27 March 2006

Sebelius urges Kansans to take action to deal with drought
Preventative action can help protect families and property, Governor says

Kansans can help protect themselves from the devastating effects of drought-induced wildfires by taking preventative action now, Governor Kathleen Sebelius said today.

“We’ve seen how destructive wildfires have been in Texas and Oklahoma and how easily they can spread in drought-ravaged areas. My Drought Response Team has identified ways Kansans can protect their families and property should the drought persist or worsen as predicted,” Sebelius said.

The wildfire subgroup of the Drought Response Team will soon launch an information campaign to educate citizens in rural and suburban areas on actions they can take to make their property less prone to damage by wildfire. Those precautionary measures include removing flammables like dried vegetation to create a firebreak between a home and likely sources of wildfire. Many of the recommendations the subgroup will make can be found at www.firewise.org.

The wildfire subgroup is also encouraging ranchers in the southern Flint Hills to consider doing their planned burns ahead of schedule. Planned burns improve forage quality for cattle and prevent the spread of invasive woody plants that threaten the tallgrass prairie.

“Pasture burning typically doesn’t begin until mid-April, but we have a brief opportunity for ranchers to take advantage of the fire-controlling effects of moisture brought in by last week’s storms,” said Secretary of Agriculture Adrian Polansky, who sits on the wildfire subgroup. “A planned burn takes care of dry vegetation left from last year’s growth, and it encourages fresh growth that could stymie the spread of wildfire.”

Ranchers are reminded to follow notification requirements appropriate to their county, whether it’s obtaining a burn permit or notifying local fire fighters, law enforcement officials, or the county emergency manager.

The wildfire subgroup has already communicated to county officials that it is recommending earlier planned burns by Flint Hills ranchers.

“We want this to be a coordinated effort, with appropriate notifications and appropriate precautions,” Polansky said. “For that, we need good communication between state and local officials and between ranchers and local officials.”

K-State Research and Extension offers ranchers the following guidelines for conducting a planned burn:

• Wind speeds between 5 to 15 miles per hour are best. At 20 miles per hour, the ability to control a fire in a good pasture fuel-load is slim. Lack of wind poses a problem in that a breeze could come up from a direction that can’t be anticipated.
• Relative humidity between 40 to 70 percent is considered acceptable. Below 40 percent create a high fire danger situation that makes controlling the fire difficult.
• Ideal air temperature is between 55 to 80 degrees, and cloud cover should be less than 70 percent for safe burning. Clouds trap smoke, and a minimum ceiling of 2,000 feet is required.

The wildfire subgroup is made up of representatives from the Kansas Departments of Agriculture, Health and Environment, Transportation, and Wildlife and Parks. It also includes representatives from the Kansas Turnpike Authority, the Kansas Fire Marshal’s Office, K-State Research and Extension, the Kansas Division of Emergency Management, Kansas Highway Patrol, Kansas Forest Service, Kansas Water Office, and several agricultural organizations.

According to the March 21 National Drought Monitor, most of Kansas ranked as experiencing moderate drought, while smaller areas ranked from abnormally dry to experiencing severe to extreme drought.

After the fourth driest Kansas winter on record, Sebelius on March 20 raised the drought alert level to warning status for 80 counties, while she declared drought watches for the remaining 25 counties in northeast and east central Kansas.

The Governor’s Drought Response Team met March 17 to develop a plan for the safety and security of Kansans. They focused on three key areas: wildfires, public water supply and agriculture. Subgroups for each of the focus areas are now working to address drought conditions and to develop action plans as needed.

Sebelius created the Governor’s Drought Response Team by Executive Order 03-17 on Aug. 21, 2003, to “ensure the State of Kansas responds in a timely and appropriate manner to the impacts of drought upon its people, resources and the environment.”

The team is made up of representatives from the Kansas Water Office, the Governor’s Office, Kansas Emergency Management, the Departments of Agriculture, Administration, Health and Environment, and Wildlife and Parks, the State Fire Marshal, the Kansas State Army Corps of Engineers, and the USDA Farm Service Agency.