FLINT HILLS, Kan. (KNS) – It’s the time of year, March and April, when Kansas landowners are beginning to burn their grasslands, especially in the Flint Hills region. The state is advising people to take precautions from the smoke.
The controlled burns are supposed to help conserve the ecosystem, protect it from invasive species and reduce wildfire risks.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has a smoke modeling tool available online to help ranchers best plan the fires and minimize impacts on air quality. The smoke can cause burning eyes, runny nose, coughing and bronchitis.
For residents where smoke is thick, the state recommends closing windows and doors, plus keeping indoor air clean with new air filters.
Roughly two million acres of range-land in the Flint Hills of eastern Kansas are burned each year.
