Correction: A previous version of this story used references to Tuesday. Sen. Moran was in Reno County on Monday, April 11. Hutch Post regrets the error.
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran was in Hutchinson Monday to talk to firefighters that had worked the Cottonwood Complex fire at the Fire Training Center. Moran had ridden through part of the burned area with Reno County Commission chair Daniel Friesen after visiting Buhler High School Monday afternoon.
"One of the major reasons I asked to come visit the Chief and his team today is because, while the financial reward may not be sufficient, they need to at least know how appreciated they are," Moran said. "When I'm here today to say thank you, it's on behalf of Kansans, on behalf of certainly the citizens of Reno County. People need to know they are appreciated, if they're going to be able to get up the next morning and go back to work."
Hutchinson Fire Chief Steven Beer told Moran that the department had some trouble getting grant funding in previous cycles from the federal level, even though they applied together with the Kansas Forest Service. Moran was going to see how his office could help in that regard, but Beer was pleased to get a chance to talk to him about it.
"We're grateful anytime we can get assistance, whether it's at the local, state or federal level when we write these grants," Beer said. "Obviously, this year has been challenging, with the losses that we've had in and around Reno County and around Hutchinson. Hopefully, our grants will have an open ear at that level."
Beer also talked to Moran about how important cedar mitigation is from a fire prevention perspective, Moran also noted that keeping cedars out is a large need for agriculture.
"We have lots of reasons that we need to get rid of the cedar tree," Moran said. "A lot of it has to do with our natural resources and agriculture. Those trees devour water. They change the stream beds of Kansas. They dry up our creeks and rivers and we've been in an effort to get the USDA, its rural aspect, to respond to a problem that exists. The cedar, it's so invasive. We need landowners to work with the Natural Resources Conservation Service and others to make certain that what resources are available are put to use getting rid of those cedars."
Beer said that even in the areas that have burned already, there is still some danger when winds will be as strong as they are forecast to be Tuesday.
"We do have a little bit of green growth under there, but we just haven't had the timely rains," Beer said. "One day it's cold, almost freezing the other night and now we're going to be 85 tomorrow is what I heard and 60 mile an hour winds, so again, it's just a recipe for disaster with all that dry vegetation that's still on top of anything that's green that has grown."
Beer's large concern is that there are some folks that were doing controlled burning and it's important to note that more than one of the previous fires in the county this year have grown from areas where controlled burns were not put out properly.