KFS Fire Forecast

 Chip is currently on a wildfire assignment and will be unable to update this blog until he returns (about two weeks most likely).   Sorry for the inconvenience.  

  Fuels: Despite a period of heat and wind last week, fuels conditions were offset by fairly widespread rainfall the last two day. Cool season fine fuels and areas of wheat stubble will be the most likely areas to carry fire. Heavy fuels and warm season grasses remain fairly moist and will take another extended period of dry conditions to be conducive. Fire spread will remain very limited through the period even with a slight uptick in drying by the end of the week as warmer, drier and windy conditions return. Another timely precipitation event is possible by the end of the weekend keeps forecasted fuels conditions steady through the week. ERCs and BI are expected to remain at/below the 50th percentile for the period. Statewide Preparedness Level:  2   Growing Season Index:      Forecast: Monday, August 11th Lingering cloud cover, along with showers and thunderstorms (mostly east) will limit fire weather concerns today. Temperatures cooler than normal with ...

Fuels: Periods of showers and thunderstorms continue to impact localized areas of the state each afternoon. However, with the lack of repeated precipitation over the same landscape each day, fuels continue to waver between drying/wetting. Overall, this has sustained fuel moistures across the region and allowed for ERCs to be persistent in the 15-30%-tile range. This will continue to limit fire behavior as a result. Without more prolonged drying and increased wind, fires will remain limited to cured out cool season grasses with suppression successful in greener fuels.  Statewide Preparedness Level:  2   Growing Season Index:      Forecast: Monday, July 7th Seasonal temperatures with light southeast winds. Several episodes of thunderstorms possible. An area of isolated storms will develop in the afternoon in the northeast. More widespread storms will develop in NE/CO and move east/southeast in the evening. Wetting rains are expected for most of northwest Kans...