The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has issued an air quality health advisory for the Flint Hills and central Kansas.
KDHE says conditions are ideal for prescribed burning in the area. That, combined with smoke from past activity this week, will lead to elevated air pollution levels — hence the advisory.
KDHE does not list counties in these advisories, in part because it does not know how many controlled burns will take place.
Controlled burns are beneficial to help preserve the tallgrass prairie, control invasive plant species and offer better forage for cattle and other livestock. However, the burns also send up large amounts of substances that can create ozone and lead to health issues ranging from burning eyes to bronchitis.
Click here for Airnow.gov, the federal air quality tracking website.
