Training sessions planned for Wichita, Manhattan
There were a reported 8,000 wildfires in Kansas in 2022. The Kansas Forest Service has developed a Wildfire Risk Assessment Tool to help Kansans protect their life and property. (Photo by Almos Bechtold on Unsplash)
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Not all Kansas wildfires make headline news, so it may come as a surprise to many that the Sunflower State reported more than 8,000 wildfires in 2022.
Eight…thousand…fires. As in, about 3,000 more than the state’s yearly average.
Drought in much of Kansas is partly to blame for 2022’s bump in wildfires, but Kansas Forest Service fire management officer Mark Neely said many other factors contribute to heightened risk of fire.
“The landscape is changing and land management practices are changing; the vegetation that is out there is changing,” Neely said. “Dry conditions certainly heighten our risk, but other factors that contribute to fire risk include keeping your property maintained, mowing your yard, cleaning gutters and beds of leaves and not stacking firewood directly next to your house.”
Neely said the Kansas Forest Service has led an effort to build a
