State of emergency, drought warnings issued for western Kansas

Gov. Sam Brownback yesterday issued a State of Disaster Emergency and drought warnings and watches related to the extreme dry weather conditions in southwest and western Kansas. The disaster declaration was issued for Stevens and Haskell Counties, which were affected by a grassfire April 3. The fire burned about 9,600 acres, destroying some homes and public infrastructures, including four bridges. The cause of the fire is unknown but it was not the result of a controlled burn.

Drought indicators show precipitation in western Kansas has been significantly below normal for the year, which considerably has increased the risk of fire in those counties. The drought warning declaration includes 20 counties and also puts 27 surrounding counties under a drought watch. Those within the drought warning include Finney, Grant, Gray, Greeley, Gove, Hamilton, Haskell, Kearny, Lane, Logan, Meade, Morton, Ness, Scott, Seward, Stanton, Stevens, Trego, Wallace and Wichita. The drought watch covers Barton, Cheyenne, Clark, Cloud, Decatur, Ellis, Ellsworth, Ford, Graham, Hodgeman, Jewel, Lincoln, Mitchell, Norton, Osborne, Ottawa, Pawnee, Phillips, Rawlins, Republic, Rooks, Rush, Russell, Sherman, Sheridan, Smith and Thomas. 

For more information visit www.kla.org.

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