Dry conditions keep Stafford County fire fighters busy

Dry conditions have kept Stafford County firefighters busy with more than a dozen grassland and hay bale fires in the past week.

Stafford County has had a number of fires this summer due to extremely low rainfall and hot temperatures according to Stafford County EMS director Steve Moody.

"Coming home Friday evening I was greeted by the grandest lightning show I ever saw in Kansas," he said. "That lightning caused a fire that firefighters were paged out to and quickly extinguished. If only there had been just that one.

"Early the next evening we found out that two separate fires – caused by Friday night's lightning strikes – would rear their ugly heads."

The first fire was in a heavily wooded area that had been devastated by an early spring tornado. Firefighters quickly determined the fire would have to be allowed to burn out due to the large amount of fuel the downed wood provided. They left that fire and went to the next one. Three hours later that fire was extinguished.

"Fast forward twenty four hours and guess what? The heavily wooded area was again in full flame mode," said Moody.

This time firefighters took a new approach setting a back burn to remove the fuel surrounding the large woodpiles. It took another six hours to contain the blaze, and it would be a source of another one or two calls as it continued to smolder.

Igniting hay bale stacks, grassland fires and EMS calls kept all emergency workers and volunteers busy keeping the county from going up in flames.

"As these conditions continue and we're asking citizens to be extra careful during these times," Moody said. "Not only is it easier to start a fire, it's also easier for that fire to spread."

Moody had some suggestions to help curb the reach fire outbreaks, minimize the use of any device with an open flame, dispose of any charcoal appropriately, do not discard smoking materials unless completely extinguished and keep grass and weeds cut short in wide circumference of any structures.

While most of the fires were thought to be the result of lightning strikes and spontaneous combustion in drying bale stacks Moody stated that some of the fires had unknown origins.

"There have been a few fires for which we haven't been able to determine a cause," he said. "This doesn't mean they were deliberately set - they may have started from a discarded cigarette -, but it does mean that it's possible they were set.

"For this reason we're asking the public to be on the look-out for any activity you observe that is not ordinary in your area, and to report it immediately to Emergency Dispatch at 620-549-6401."

Residents of Stafford County must contact the dispatch office at the number listed above before starting any controlled burns. Fines and charges for time and equipment used to fight unreported controlled burns may be levied against the landowners if neglect is found to be a factor.