Speakers to share guidelines for planning and conducting burns, having the necessary tools
GARNETT, Kan. — The K-State Research and Extension Frontier District, in partnership with the Anderson County Conservation District will host a prescribed burn school designed to help landowners and producers plan and safely carry out effective burns.
The school will take place Wednesday, Feb 11, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Anderson County Community Building in Garnett. The building is located on North Lake Road next to the fairgrounds. Meeting materials and lunch will be provided by Evergy.
Participants are asked to register by Saturday, Feb. 7 to Ryan Schaub, agriculture agent, at 785-448-6826 or [email protected].
Speakers representing multiple organizations will lead discussions on a variety of topics related to prescribed burning. These topics include the purpose and benefits to burning, appropriate weather conditions, required equipment, burn planning and execution, fire behavior, hazards and safety precautions, liability concerns, and Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) regulations.
Burning of native grasses in Kansas, both natural and man-made, goes back hundreds of years and is responsible for the development of the Great Plains, of which only about 4% remains. Based on early records, these fires varied from only a few acres to thousands of acres that lasted weeks.
On average, Kansas producers have burned roughly 2 million acres each year. However, recent years have seen a decline in burned acres. K-State Extension publishes a weekly burn report during the burn season, which runs from early March through the end of May. Using satellite imagery, the report estimates total acres burned statewide. Recent estimates include:
2025 – 1.85 million acres
2024 – 1.37 million acres
2023 – 1.2 million acres
2022 – 1.89 million acres
Research from K-State indicates that native grasslands must be burned at least 60 percent of the time to effectively limit woody plant encroachment.
Schaub noted that severely factors can limit opportunities to burn. Those include high winds, dry years, extremely wet spring, or lack of fuel from drought conditions.
When conducted safely and under appropriate conditions, prescribed burns offer numerous benefits. It improves forage quality, better grazing distribution, increased stocker cattle gains, enhanced wildlife habitat, quicker establishment of newly seeded grasses, and reduced wildlife risk.
The goal of the school on Feb. 11 is to help landowners and producers with the knowledge and tools needed to safely use fire as a management practice to improve grassland health. Questions may be directed to Schaub at 785-448-6826 or send him an email at [email protected].
