A series of wildfires over the past week have scorched nearly 850,000 acres of land in Kansas and Oklahoma, affecting cattle ranchers and other agricultural producers.
A press release from the Kansas Department of Agriculture said wildfires in the state began on Feb. 17 and have "resulted in agricultural losses, including the loss of livestock."
A situation report published by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry on Monday indicates that five main fires have burned around 295,315 acres as of Tuesday.
The largest, the Ranger Road Fire, burned an estimated 283,283 acres in Beaver and Harper counties in Oklahoma, as well as Clark, Meade and Comanche counties in Kansas. It was 90% contained as of Tuesday.
The Poor Farm Fire, the second largest, was fully contained as of Tuesday. It had burned around 9,565 acres in Latimer County, Oklahoma.
The Savage Highway Fire in Pittsburg County, Oklahoma, had burned 900 acres and was 45% contained as of Tuesday, while the Rattlesnake Fire in Osage and Washington counties, Oklahoma, had burned 498 acres and was 70% contained.
The backwoods Hunting Club Fire in Adair County, Oklahoma, had burned 114.5 acres and was 95% contained.
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt on Monday issued an executive order temporarily waiving some transportation regulations to accommodate transport of water, hay and livestock feed to impacted areas. Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly issued a similar order on Tuesday.
In a letter to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on Monday, Kansas GOP Sens. Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall and Rep. Tracey Mann, R-Kan., said the wildfires "burned thousands of acres, destroyed critical fencing and hay supplies, and resulted in substantial livestock losses." The three Republicans urged Rollins to "take immediate action to support those affected by the devastating wildfires."
