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Up To Date

Wind Ahead Of Rain? Fuel For Forest Fires

Missouri Dept. of Public Safety

You'll be hard-pressed to find someone who wouldn't welcome a rain shower after weeks of heat and drought in the region. But here's one: the forest firefighter, whose work in Missouri's forests might become more difficult — and dangerous — today.

Why? What comes before rain? Wind. And wind, combined with already tinderbox-dry trees can spread fire...like...well, wildfire.

Wednesday in the final portion of Up to Date, Steve Kraske welcomes back Mark Nelson, the Missouri Department of Conservation's regional forestry director who is monitoring the situation here in the Heartland very closely.  We'll discuss how fires start, how they're extinguished, and how the Missouri Department of Conservation works with fire departments to respond to fires.

Credit National Weather Service/NOAA
/
NOAA
Much of Missouri is under a high alert for forest fires Wednesday.

Stephen Steigman is director of Classical KC. You can email him at <a href="mailto:Stephen.Steigman@classicalkc.org">Stephen.Steigman@classicalkc.org</a>.
When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.