The prescribed burning season in Kansas is in full swing, with high fire activity over the past few weeks. Much-needed precipitation is possible for parts of the state through the weekend and early next week, but prescribed fire activity will likely pick up again in the following weeks.
While prescribed burning is a key management tool for maintaining grasslands, Kansas has seen several incidents of escaped prescribed fires this season. There is always risk in conducting prescribed burns, but adequate planning before, during, and after a prescribed burn is critical to their safe and effective use.
This article discusses the reasons for conducting a prescribed burn, how to conduct a successful burn, and online tools and resources useful for planning a prescribed burn.
Reasons for conducting a prescribed burn
There are many reasons to conduct a prescribed burn, including increased cattle gains and brush control, which are common management goals. Mid-to-late spring burns have been effective in increasing stocker cattle gains compared to unburned pastures. Prescribed burning for brush control is more effective once the woody plants are leafed out, which can be in the late spring or summer, depending on the species. The exception to this is eastern red cedar, which is vulnerable to prescribed burning across seasons when the fuel load is adequate.
Other reasons for burning include conserving the native plant community, improving grazing distribution, enhancing wildlife habitat, and reducing wildfire severity. Maintenance of conservation reserve program (CRP) acres is another use of prescribed burning. Normally, CRP acres are burned between February 1 and April 15 in eastern Kansas and between February 1 and April 30 in the west. Summer burns after July 16 are also allowed in Kansas. Be sure to check with your local FSA office regarding the burning of CRP in your county.
Weather forecasts and smoke model
Weather forecasts can be obtained from the NWS offices in Topeka, Wichita, Dodge City, Goodland, Hastings, NE, Kansas City/Pleasant Hill, MO, and Springfield, MO. Online, simply type weather.gov/ and the name of your NWS office.
Weather conditions for conducting a safe prescribed burn are:
The amount of cloud cover and mixing height will influence smoke dispersal. Check under the hourly forecast to see what is expected. That hourly forecast is also helpful to see when wind shifts might occur.
A smoke model located at ksfire.org predicts the direction smoke from a fire will travel based on current weather conditions, location, date, amount of fuel, and size of area to be burned. Another site providing useful information relative to conducting a prescribed burn is the Kansas Mesonet. You can see current humidity and wind direction at mesonet.ksu.edu/fire/rh at 90+ locations across the state.
If you plan on prescribed burning under dry conditions, here are a few things to be mindful of:
Know the prescribed burn regulations
If you plan to burn this year, be sure to check your local regulations. Kansas regulations require the person conducting the burn to:
Your county may require a burn permit. Always check with local authorities to ensure burning is allowed before starting a prescribed burn.
Christopher “Chip” Redmond - Kansas Mesonet
christopherredmond@ksu.edu
Molly Reichenborn, Rangeland Management Specialist
mreichenborn@ksu.edu
Tags: prescribed burning wildfire