The annual spring burn season will be upon us soon, which means renewed emphasis on the Flint Hills Smoke Management Plan even though there won’t be many — if any — changes to the document.
The document, in place since 2010, prohibits burning of just about anything except non-native grassland in April for the entire KVOE listening area and parts of central Kansas.
On KVOE’s Newsmaker 2 segment Thursday, Lyon County Extension ag agent Brian Rees called fire a useful option for pasture control and livestock grazing conditions — if it’s handled properly.
Rees encouraged people to be familiar with the plan and its different components like the Smoke Management Tool, which can map out potential smoke plumes for the day of a controlled burn and even several days ahead of a burn. That will be important this year after near-record rainfall compressed the 2019 burning season and set the table for an active 2020 season if the weather allows it.
Rees also says there has been some interest in developing a more widespread fall burning season to limit the air quality issues that have come with spring burns.
Rees says data is not available on the impact on cattle weights and yields in the year after a fall burn. That information could go a long way into whether fall burning becomes more prevalent.
With the annual fire season about to begin, Rees reminded Lyon County residents outside the Emporia city limits to get their free burn permits from the Courthouse, Sheriff’s Office and city halls for the county’s smaller communities. Lyon County Emergency Management Director Jarrod Fell says Lyon County residents need to call the Emergency Communication Center at 343-4225 with location, permit number and estimated acreage to be affected — and to do so before the burn starts. Residents then need to call back when the burn is put out.
Emporia residents do not need a burn permit, but Fell says they need to call the Emporia Fire Department at 343-4230 to get permission to burn.
For more information about the 2020 Flint Hills Smoke Management Plan, go online to www.ksfire.org.
