Less than 10 days remain before the annual April burn restrictions end across the Flint Hills of Kansas and Oklahoma.
The prior two weeks have been busy. Kansas Flint Hills Smoke Management, the social media site for the state’s Flint Hills Smoke Management Plan, says there have been more than 1.2 million total acres burned between Valentine’s Day and April 13, more than double the amount reported through April 4. Areawide, Wabaunsee County has the highest acreage burned at over 108,000, followed by Chase County at nearly 87,000. Greenwood and Lyon counties both have over 74,000 acres burned.
The seven-county KVOE listening area has combined for over 456,000 burned acres, or almost three-eighths of the 22 counties affected by the burn restrictions this month.
The Smoke Management Plan allows for controlled pasture burns, ceremonial fires and grilling, but debris piles, crop residue and construction waste cannot be burned at all in April.
