Extreme fire danger is expected across Central Kansas into Sunday evening. Red Flag warnings are in effect through 10 PM Saturday and from 9 AM to 8 PM Sunday.
Southwest winds will change to the northwest Sunday and increase behind a cold front producing gusts of up to 45 miles an hour, which will combine with relative humidity of as low as 11 percent will allow any fires that develop to spread quickly and behave erratically.
The Grassland Fire Danger Index says the highest fire damage will be found across much of Reno County into western Harvey County along with a small area of eastern Harvey County and generally along the Smoky Hill River from Kanopolis Lake west into southern Russell County.
Fire and emergency Management officials are discouraging any kind of outdoor burning through Sunday evening. This would include parking of vehicles in grassy areas, where fuels are extremely dry due to the recent lack of any significant rainfall.
On Friday, a number of controlled burns around the area got out of control, the largest of which was from the east edge of the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge along the Reno/Stafford county line.
Current forecasts from the National Weather Service indicate at least a high fire danger will exist through the early part of next weekend, with a very high danger returning to central Kansas Thursday and Friday.
