All area counties remain in an air quality advisory until further notice.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment issued the advisory Friday afternoon, based on forecast models indicating previous smoke from existing fires combined with temperature inversions, where air temperatures are stable or climb with height instead of falling, for the next several days.
High temperatures will gradually climb to around 80 degrees by Wednesday, with wind speeds at or below 25 mph at least until Tuesday.
March and April are the busiest months for grass fires across Kansas, and the federal AirNow.gov website indicated over 30 active grass fires at times across the KVOE listening area Friday afternoon — and around 50 grass fires just in Lyon County on Saturday morning. KDHE says controlled burns help to preserve the tallgrass prairie ecosystem, control invasive species, reduce encroachment from plants like Eastern Red Cedar and give cattle better forage. However, the smoke can also negatively impact air quality as far north as Minnesota and as far east as Tennessee, depending on the wind direction. The smoke can also trigger allergies or cause health issues ranging from burning eyes and runny nose to bronchitis.
KDHE suggests several steps to reduce the impact of smoke on daily lives:
*Healthy people should limit or avoid strenuous outdoor exercise.
*More vulnerable people should remain indoors.
*Help keep indoor air clean by closing doors and windows and running air conditioners with air filters.
*Stay hydrated by drinking lots of water.
*Contact their doctor for symptoms such as chest pain, chest tightness, shortness of breath, or severe fatigue.
KDHE maintains information about the Flint Hills Smoke Management Plan, smoke modeling tool and April burn restrictions online at ksfire.org.
In separate but related fire news, the National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning from 12-8 pm Saturday for Morris County. The National Weather Service expects wind gusts as high as 30 mph, coupled with relative humidity levels at 20 percent or below.
*Click here to get more information about air quality and nearby fire locations from AirNow.gov.
