By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Board of Reno County Commissioners is going to begin the process of looking at burn ban regulations again after the wildfires that threatened the northeast part of the county earlier this spring.
"I feel that we certainly need to give our rural farmers the opportunity to burn," said Reno County Commissioner Ron Sellers. "I think we need to be very concise on when and how."
Hutchinson Fire Chief Steven Beer, who is responsible for Fire District 2 in addition to the city, is ready to come to the table with his colleagues to help.
"I think we could better prepare that in what we see and what all the firefighters in the county have to deal with, there are better ways to do different things," Beer said. "I think with the county chiefs association, you've got them all there from all the districts. I'm just the city and district two. I'm just one voice of many. I think a liaison with one of the commissioners might be appropriate, to have a deeper discussion on what it takes to mitigate these things. They're getting more frequent."
There is not an offseason for wildfires any more.
"Wildfire season was typically in the spring," Beer said. "It started last December. Actually, November was the big one in Harvey County already. These things are almost year round. Even the 4th of July last year, with the fireworks, we ran a bunch of brush fires last year when it was dry in the summertime."
It's important to note that it takes massive amounts of resources to get ahead of a wildfire once it starts.