Parts of the KVOE listening area are under burn bans with a very high fire danger in place through the weekend.
Greenwood County is under a burn ban until 7 pm after the National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for the combination of above-normal temperatures, low humidity levels, dry grasses and winds as high as 35 mph.
Other short-term bans were announced Friday by area counties, notably Osage and Wabaunsee. Those will be revisited Saturday morning. Chase County, meanwhile, is in a burn ban until further notice.
Fire danger may ease Sunday night through Tuesday afternoon with chances of showers. Embedded thunderstorms and a marginal severe weather risk are also possible late Sunday night.
8:45 am Friday: Governor issues State of Disaster Emergency ahead of very high fire danger statewide; three area counties announce burn bans
Fire danger is a concern heading through the upcoming weekend.
Friday’s fire danger will be at least very high, given a combination of unseasonably warm high temperatures, dry grasses, low humidity levels and breezy conditions. Humidity levels will increase both Saturday and Sunday ahead of our next chance of rainfall, but the increase in relative humidity may be offset by increasing wind speeds — which could well be in the 40-50 mph range by Sunday afternoon.
Kansas Governor Laura Kelly has issued a State of Disaster Emergency virtually statewide because of the fire risk. This officially allows the use of stte resources and personnel to help with response and recovery efforts for counties meeting certain criteria.
Outdoor burning is strongly discouraged. Chase County is in a burn ban until further notice. Osage and Wabaunsee counties are in separate burn bans Friday, with those situations to be reviewed on a daily basis. With hunting and harvest underway, the Kansas Forest Service says there is “an increased chance for human-caused ignition sources.”
Meanwhile, a small chance of showers and storms by Sunday night also has a marginal risk of severe weather attached. Hail and wind are the main concerns.
Stay with KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media for updates.
