Governor Laura Kelly issued a state of disaster emergency verbal declaration Thursday, May 14 at 5:08 p.m. due to wildland fires in Clark, Ford, Harper, Meade and Morton counties to support local communities with state fire suppression resources.
“As wildland fires continue to burn in southwest Kansas, state agencies are providing resources to help local officials get the fires under control,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “Resources that are being used are being coordinated through the State Emergency Operations Center and their state agency emergency support function partners.”
The Kansas Division of Management (KDEM) staffed the State Emergency Operations Center with personnel from the Kansas Forest Service, Office of the State Fire Marshal, Kansas Department of Transportation, Kansas National Guard and National Weather Service to coordinate state assistance to augment local response.
“We appreciate all the communities and fire departments across the state who have volunteered to send their trucks, equipment and firefighters to assist with these fires,” State Fire Marshal Mark Engholm said. “No fire department has the resources to handle a major conflagration like this, only with assistance from across Kansas will these fires be brought under control.”
The Kansas Army National Guard provided four Black Hawk helicopters and crews to assist with wildland fire suppression.
The Office of the State Fire Marshal has coordinated the response of more than 90 fire trucks and 200 firefighters from 75 fire departments around the state to assist with the fires in Clark and Meade counties. Currently, there are four state tasked wildfire task forces working in Meade County and seven state tasked wildfire task forces working in Clark County. In addition, KSFM has assigned a Special Agent to assist the Clark County Incident Commander and a second Special Agent to serve as an air / ground controller to coordinate water drops by aircraft in Clark County.
“The conditions in southwest Kansas are dynamic and rapidly changing, Jason Hartman, State Forester said. “Such conditions pose a significant risk to responders and the public.”
The Kansas Forest Service in coordination with the state partners has been providing operational assistance to Clark, Meade and Morton counties at various times since Thursday’s lightning event. The KFS District Fire Management officers are supporting local officials to ensure accountability and safety on the fireline.
In addition to the in-state resources, the Kansas Forest Service has ordered four strike teams of out-of-state engines to bolster the local response or provide backup for local responders to get some much-needed rest.
KFS provided fixed wing aviation to help support the ground resources in both Meade and Clark Counties.
The Kansas Department of Transportation has provided water tenders and operators, personnel to support the Bucklin staging area, dump trucks with 1,800-gallon water tanks, motor graders and a semi with a lowboy to transport a fire truck that broke down and temporary flight restrictions for Meade and Clark Counties were implemented in coordination with the response.
As a part of a Governor’s state of disaster emergency, state resource requests are coordinated through county emergency managers to the state emergency operations center. Resources should not self-deploy without being requested. A state of disaster emergency provides the governor with emergency powers necessary to deal with a disaster for a period of 15 days. KDEM provides the coordination between supporting agencies and key resources.
