ELK COUNTY, Kan. (KSNW) — The rain brings needed moisture for the Kansas drought, but that does not eliminate fire dangers.
Hutchinson Fire Chief Steven Beer says if conditions are right, it can take just one-hour post-rain for a fire to start, bringing challenges when it’s time for trucks to roll out.
“The fields still are wet, grasses are dried out, but then our fire trucks get stuck out in the fields,” said Beer.
It’s a challenge Elk County Rural Fire crews experienced on Sunday.
“We had numerous trucks, even though we barely got any rain, got stuck,” said Elk County Rural Fire Chief Todd Winscher.
This adds another danger on top of the flames.
“Honestly, for the firefighter’s safety, anytime you have a situation where vehicles are getting stuck, first off, you have to be able to go get the firefighters and take care of their safety as well,” said Elk County Emergency Manager, Beth Koehler.
Crews spent nine hours battling the blaze. But unfortunately, the rural conditions and rain do not mix well.
“It was 5 miles north and south before the next road and going in from east to west; we were looking at another 6 miles. So that is how big of a section we had,” said Winscher. “But really, the rocks and the mud was our biggest challenge yesterday.”
These conditions are a challenge for all fire crews. To avoid hiccups, Hutchinson fire crews had to switch out their equipment.
“We have to use some lighter weight vehicles as we move through some of these low lying areas that did receive a little bit upward to 2 inches of rain,” said Beer.
Beer warning Kansans to be mindful of fire conditions.
“That definitely goes a long way, and 90% of these issues we deal with are caused by humans,” said Beer.