NWS Springfield, MO

Heat, Drought and Wildfires
	Drought and wildfires can, and often do accompany excessive heat. Bourbon County has gone through dry periods and drought. The latest droughts occurred in 1999 and 2000 when well below normal rainfall and high temperatures combined to produce drought conditions. Longest periods without rainfall in Bourbon County 46 days: 3 Sept 1979 ~ 18 Oct 79 45 days: 12 Dec 1955 ~ 25 Jan 56 44 days: 30 Jul 2000 ~ 11 Sept 00 43 days: 4 Oct 1950 ~ 15 Nov 50 42 days: 21 Oct 1965 ~ 1 Dec 65 38 days: 31 Oct 1989 ~ 7 Dec 89 In a press release issued in 2000 Casey McCoy, rural fire service specialist with the Kansas Forest Service indicated that- "California and Kansas are No. 1 and 2 among western U.S. states for producing the greatest number of wildfires every year. California just makes the news a lot more often. Kansas actually surpasses California on amount of land affected. With an average 190,638 acres burned annually, Kansas is second only to Alaska (409,340 acres). Many would guess the leading cause in Kansas is ranchers' pasture burning. That's a widely used and well accepted practice for managing grasslands. Research has shown burning is what many native Plains grass seeds need to germinate - just as they did in buffalo-roaming days, when lightning set the fires.

Heat, Drought and Wildfires

Drought and wildfires can, and often do accompany excessive heat. Bourbon County has gone through dry periods and drought. The latest droughts occurred in 1999 and 2000 when well below normal rainfall and high temperatures combined to produce drought conditions.

Longest periods without rainfall in
Bourbon County

46 days: 3 Sept 1979 ~ 18 Oct 79
45 days: 12 Dec 1955 ~ 25 Jan 56
44 days: 30 Jul 2000 ~ 11 Sept 00
43 days: 4 Oct 1950 ~ 15 Nov 50
42 days: 21 Oct 1965 ~ 1 Dec 65
38 days: 31 Oct 1989 ~ 7 Dec 89

In a press release issued in 2000 Casey McCoy, rural fire service specialist with the Kansas Forest Service indicated that-
"California and Kansas are No. 1 and 2 among western U.S. states for producing the greatest number of wildfires every year. California just makes the news a lot more often. Kansas actually surpasses California on amount of land affected. With an average 190,638 acres burned annually, Kansas is second only to Alaska (409,340 acres). Many would guess the leading cause in Kansas is ranchers' pasture burning. That's a widely used and well accepted practice for managing grasslands. Research has shown burning is what many native Plains grass seeds need to germinate - just as they did in buffalo-roaming days, when lightning set the fires.

NOAA's National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

Heat, Drought and Wildfires