A stubble fire west of Great Bend on Wednesday afternoon didn’t destroy any crops, but served as a reminder of the dry conditions and the burn ban in effect in Barton County.
“It is dry out there and just about any spark can start the dry grass on fire,” Great Bend Fire Chief Mike Napolitano said. “We just need some rain real bad.”
Napolitano said a discarded cigarette may have started the fire in the field at West Barton County Road and NW 70 Ave. Firefighters were dispatched around 2:15 p.m.
The field is owned by Danny Leroy of rural Great Bend.
The burn ban imposed in May by the Barton County Commission is in effect until Monday, when it will likely be extended for another week. In addition to the ban, Napolitano reminds people that burning trash is illegal if trash service is available in their area.
Hot windy weather can making fighting a fire more challenging. Firefighters caught a break Wednesday because it wasn’t very windy, and the landowner was also fortunate because there was no crop loss in the blaze.
That wasn’t the case Memorial Day weekend, when hot gusts whipped a wheatfield fire in rural Hoisington. The fire was first reported at about 4:40 p.m. on May 26 at NW 60 Road and NW 40 Ave., and the cause remains undetermined. Fire departments from Albert, Great Bend and Hoisington were at the scene for hours, and returned throughout the night to douse hot spots.