The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) recently reported about 1.07 million acres of Flint Hills grasslands in 17 Kansas counties were burned this spring, compared to 1.87 million acres in 2022. An additional 128,683 acres of tallgrass prairie were burned in four counties of northern Oklahoma.
This is the fewest acres burned since 2013, when the last major drought impacted the state. The most current drought monitor shows nearly 60% of Kansas is in extreme to exceptional drought.
KDHE also noted preliminary data indicates no ozone readings between February 3 and May 1 exceeded Environmental Protection Agency air quality standards.