Kansas Wildfire Efforts Inadequate, Audit Finds

An audit has found that Kansas doesn’t have money to devote to wildfires and its fire-fighting efforts are inadequate.

In Kansas, local government has first responsibility for fighting fires and often have to cover firefighting costs. They can call in the Kansas Department of Emergency Management, the Office of the State Fire Marshal and the Kansas Forest Service. But auditors say the three agencies struggle to work collaboratively. Their findings show local officials didn’t always know when to call for state assistance and weren’t aware of what resources could provide to help fight wildfires.

The state’s fire marshal, Doug Jorgensen, said a workshop was held in December to address those concerns.

“There’s been a marked improvement of locals requesting help sooner this year than in past years,” Jorgensen said, adding that it’s one of the reasons the state has not seen a significant out of control fire so far this year.

Jorgensen and other officials said the Forest Service needs more funding so that the agency can use its fire engines. The agency can’t afford to pay for part-time workers to operate the vehicles, according to the audit.

“The system is woefully under-resourced,” said Republican Rep. Melissa Rooker of Fairway, who was among the lawmakers who requested the audit.

State fire officials in response to the audit said that they have made efforts to improve communication and provide better training for local firefighters.

Auditors recommended the legislature choose one agency to lead the state’s wildfire response and appropriate the money to ensure enough resources are deployed to fight fires.

Wildfires swept through the state in 2016 and 2017 burning more than 800,000 acres in Kansas, causing $80 million in damage and killing one person.