Strong winds over the next 48 hours are prompting more concerns over the fire danger in the region.
Riley County Deputy Fire Chief Doug Russell said the dust that was kicked up last weekend is a good indicator of how dry it is right now…
“We were very fortunate last fall and last spring, after the fire season we had a bunch of moisture and good growth. But now that that’s turned off,” he said. “It’s just extreme now where we’ve got a very high fuel load and we haven’t had any moisture recently. Things are drying up very quick.”
Russell said fire officials have seen a slight uptick in the number of fire calls recently.
“The last couple fires we’ve had were actually from brush piles that were burnt in January. That heat is just holding in there and with the extreme temperatures and the changes we’re having with the wind, it’s stirring them up again and rekindling,” he said.
Russell said it’s a big reminder to check and re-check any previous burns.
“Any little spark, any little operating equipment in tall grass, any of those kind of activities outside that you would have a little heat generated could spark a very large fire very quickly,” he said.
A Red Flag Warning is in place through Tuesday night while a High Wind Warning and Winter Weather Advisory are both in effect from 4 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday.
While there is potential for some much needed moisture in the forecast for Wednesday, Russell is concerned about the potential for lightning strikes causing fires due to the extreme dryness.
