Wildfires

Drought and some holdover wildfires from last year in Canada are already sending smoke into the Midwest and Great Plains.

A juggernaut unleashed by humans is grinding slowly across the Great Plains, burying some of the most threatened habitat on the planet beneath dense junipers and shrubland.

This year, wildfires have already burned thousands of acres in the Great Plains. Dry conditions and unseasonably warm temperatures have optimal settings for wildfires, and some experts say they are seeing more intense fires.

Kansas grasslands provide a unique wildfire risk that’s heightened by increasingly warmer temperatures in all seasons. A rainy, overcast day can pivot to prime conditions for an active fire spread within 24 hours.

A changing climate looks poised to increase wildfire conditions significantly. That would compound other growing risks, such as the aggressive spread of eastern red cedars.

Hot and dry weather across the Midwest is creating a ripe situation for wildfires, especially as farmers head into the fields for harvest.

Big wildfires have long been associated with forested areas. But in recent decades, they’ve become increasingly common on the Great Plains. Plus: Lawmakers are negotiating a new Farm Bill this year, including a program that's supposed to be a buffer against years when crop prices are low — but that many farmers say would barely cover their costs.

Wildfires have become more common in Great Plains states. City outskirts and rural areas where cedars spread aggressively face some of the highest risks.

Since deploying to Maui, Hawaii, Kansas City-based Operation BBQ Relief has served more than 20,500 free, hot meals to relief workers, first responders and survivors impacted by the island's deadly wildfires.

Smoke from Canadian wildfires is smothering U.S. cities throughout the Midwest. Kansas City is under an ozone alert Wednesday showing that the air quality is unhealthy for sensitive groups.

Last October, wildfire sparked by an ATV consumed roughly a quarter of this living landmark in the heart of the Nebraska Sandhills. But in a man-made forest, officials say, there’s no roadmap for recovery.

It’s been one year since drought-fueled wildfires tore across western and central Kansas. For the ranchers who lost so much, the rebuilding process is far from over.