Annual event brings together professional firefighters, college students

MANHATTAN, Kan. – The Kansas Forest Service will remove vegetation and conduct prescribed burns March 21-28 at Lake Scott Park north of Scott City as part of the 16th annual Hazardous Fuels Mitigation Project.

The mitigation project is conducted in partnership with the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism.

State Forester Jason Hartman said the purpose of the project is to reduce the build-up of dry vegetation and woody plant material (known as fuel) to make the area more resistant to catastrophic wildfire. In addition, the work will improve wildlife habitat and provide training opportunities for students from Hutchinson Community College enrolled in the fire science program.

“Over the years, the mitigation project has become a proven tool to help the Kansas Forest Service Wildland Fire Management program meet our obligation to provide wildland fire training and to reduce the threat of future undesired wildfires through hazardous fuels reduction,” Hartman said Jason Hartman. “With limited budget and staff, the mitigation project allows us to meet multiple objectives at once that are critical to our continued success.”

The project will be managed by nationally-certified wildland firefighters from Kansas and surrounding states. As part of a partnership between KFS and HCC, the project offers students hands-on training. As members of firefighting crews, students will gain experience in constructing fire lines and using common wildland firefighting tools such as chainsaws.

When conditions are appropriate, crews will implement prescribed burns in pre-planned areas to reduce the amount of flammable material and improve native habitat. In addition, crews and resources assigned to the mitigation project will be available for mutual aid support to the surrounding area, or statewide, if the need arises.

The training will be conducted as though it was an actual wildfire incident with an Incident Management System in place. Hartman said the interagency and interstate collaboration will enhance coordination and help firefighters further their skills. The experience will also prepare the HCC students for wildland fire positions after graduation.

The event, Hartman noted, has attracted qualified firefighters from four states and at least nine different agencies.

The fuels mitigation project is funded through the Kansas Forest Service from grants received from the USDA Forest Service.