TOPEKA – The Kansas Division of Well being and Setting (KDHE) reminds Kansans that March and April are the months when giant areas of the state’s Flint Hills rangeland are burned. These burns assist protect the tallgrass prairie, management invasive species, scale back woody encroachment from species similar to Japanese Purple Cedar and Sumac and supply higher forage for cattle. Prescribed burning minimizes threat of wildfires and is efficient in managing rangeland assets. Smoke from the burns can affect the air high quality of downwind areas. Using smoke administration methods is important to scale back air high quality and well being impacts.
KDHE will activate the Kansas smoke modeling tool on March 1, previous to widespread burning within the Flint Hills. The pc fashions use hearth knowledge and present climate situations to foretell the potential contribution of smoke to downwind air high quality issues. There are roughly 2.2 million acres burned on common within the Flint Hills of Kansas and Oklahoma every year.
“For the twelfth-consecutive yr, we’re proud to have the chance to supply this vital device for the prescribed hearth neighborhood,” stated Douglas Watson, meteorologist on the KDHE Bureau of Air. “We proceed to encourage ranchers and land managers to reap the benefits of this smoke modeling useful resource to unfold out their burns extra successfully and mitigate potential air high quality impacts.”
Prescribed burns launch giant quantities of particulate matter and different pollution that may kind ozone. Particulate matter and ozone may cause well being issues, even in wholesome people. Frequent well being issues embody burning eyes, runny nostril, coughing and sicknesses similar to bronchitis. People with respiratory points, pre-existing coronary heart or lung ailments, youngsters and aged are extra susceptible to expertise signs.
Steps to guard your well being on days when smoke is current in your neighborhood embody:
Wholesome folks ought to restrict or keep away from strenuous out of doors
Extra susceptible folks ought to stay
Assist hold indoor air clear by closing doorways and home windows and working air conditioners with air
Keep hydrated by ingesting plenty of
Contact your physician when you have signs similar to chest ache, chest tightness, shortness of breath or extreme
For extra details about the burning within the Flint Hills, the Flint Hills Smoke Administration Plan, the April burn restrictions and the smoke modeling device, please go to http://www.ksfire.org.
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