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The Heat

It's hot. High temperatures and a lack of rain have brought about the country's widest-ranging drought since the 1950s. The entire state of Missouri has been declared a federal disaster area, along with 82 counties in Kansas. Crops are struggling to survive, and so are cattle farmers who can't feed their livestock.

Fire Departments Warn About Fire Hazard

KCUR

Published July 25, 2012 at 8:10 AM CDT

Local fire departments warn drought conditions are producing grass and brush fire hazards in the metropolitan area.

A subdivision in the Northland had a close call yesterday when a large grass fire burned to within 50 feet of homes before it was controlled by firefighters from several departments.

Kansas City Fire Department Battalion Chief Lew Hendrix told TV-9 News that if the winds had shifted some homes might have caught fire.

“Mother Nature will play you. And in this particular case we drew the lucky card, we drew the ace,” said Hendrix.

The fire blackened more than 20 acres of grassland and brush near 120^th and Northeast Sherman Road.

The rain that is forecast for the Kansas City area will do little to ease drought and fire-hazard conditions. Any showers that might develop are predicted to only produce up to a quarter of an inch of rain except in isolated areas.