Kansas Secretary of Agriculture Mike Beam is reminding residents to give their thoughts on how the state can improve its response to wildfires as part of a public input period underway now through the end of November.
Beam is leading the Wildfire Task Force that was organized this past summer, with about 6,000 wildland fires per year over the past five years.
When it comes to wildfires, the state’s emergency response includes the primary fire response at the local level, with mutual aid agreements at the county or regional level, followed by the response from the state.
Beam says task force members have spent a lot of time on mitigating fire conditions. He says grazing lands and suburban areas have seen a lot of spread when it comes to invasive species the past 25 years. Beam also believes residents can help on a voluntary basis, and the state is considering potential incentives to help reduce the spread of those invasive species.
Other priorities for the Wildfire Task Force include reviewing the response plans to individual situations and supporting impacted communities or counties. With the traditional grass fire season starting as early as January the past 10-15 years, Beam says there are benefits to holding some burns later in the year.
Beam says prescribed burns, commonly called controlled burns locally, are a valuable tool in when it comes to wildfire management.
To give your input, go online to agriculture.ks.gov/WildfireTaskForce. Public comment is being accepted through the end of this month. Residents can submit their input anonymously if they choose. The next meeting for the task force is Friday in Salina.
