Wildfires

Through the Flames: Miracles, Heartbreak and the Fight for Nebraska’s Cattle Country

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 22:26:17 GMT

Ranchers Julie and James Hawkins were at the dentist, two hours from their Arthur, Neb., ranch, when they got the call. The smoke was encroaching.

With Julie behind the wheel, and little regard for the speed limit, James was on the phone with their children — Annie, 17, and Ward, 21 — talking them through how to ready the tractor, disc, trucks, trailers and water rig for battle.

When Julie and James arrived back at the ranch around 5:30 p.m., they could see a massive plume.

“It looked like a storm front coming in, and then I realized it was all smoke,” James recalls. “The fire line was several miles wide.”

Frantic calls to the neighbors and the Garden County Sheriff revealed the wildfire was already “2 miles east of Racket Road,” a key landmark that meant it was close.

It was go time. Ward left with the tractor and disc to cut a firebreak around their hay yard. James took the fire truck. Annie followed with a pickup and trailer loaded with horses. Julie hopped in another truck to find their cows.

She expected their cows to be sheltered beneath a hill, but they weren’t there. She took out over the rough terrain to keep looking.

“I topped this ridge, and there’s fire and there’s my cows,” she recalls. “I honked the horn, ‘Come on, girls, let’s go.’ The fire was on my northwest, it was on my west and it had already shot past south, underneath Ward Hill.”

The panic set in because she had left her husband and daughter at Ward Hill filling the water tank on the fire truck.

Julie coaxed the cows to safety down into the valley where her son disced a firebreak to protect their hay yard. James and Annie had outrun the wildfire and made it back to the hay yard. The family turned on its irrigation pivot and moved the horses, trailers, saddles and other valuable equipment behind the pivot for protection.

When Julie Hawkins found her cow herd she also found the fire. She recalls the fire was on her northwest, west and it had already shot past south, underneath Ward Hill.

(Hawkins Family)

A Fire Wall Several Miles Wide Leaves Destruction

The Hawkins family was one of the many ranchers impacted by the historic Morrill Fire that burned more than 642,000 acres.

The “fast-moving, overwhelming event” that started on March 12 devastated pasture and hay resources, describes Dusty Wilson, a fourth-generation cow-calf producer from southwest Arthur County, but it also revealed the strength and generosity of the ranching community.

Northwest winds up to 75 mph meant firefighters’ efforts were no match for the west-to-east threat that escalated quickly, he explains.

Wilson and his 84-year-old father, Delwin, stayed behind to move cattle and fight fire while his wife and kids evacuated.

The father-and-son duo drove to the calving pasture blaring the horn, trying to locate and call the cows in the dark and smoke.

“We had already tried to move a few other bunches, opening gates to give them areas of exit,” Wilson says.

They were unable to locate the cows when they noticed the fire was moving closer and it was time to evacuate. They left the pasture, praying the cows could find protection from the fire.

When the fire reached Wilson’s place he describes the wall of fire was several miles wide, and it “boiled over the hill” right behind his dad’s house, his barn and their shop.

“We almost got trapped,” he recalls. “We were able to find a safe spot, a sandy spot, around a windmill to park and shelter until that wave got around us.”

Both the Hawkins and Wilson families spent Thursday night fighting fire along with their neighbors and volunteer firefighters. Generations of family members, including kids, worked together to help move cows, horses, equipment and pets while other family members scouted fire location and wind shifts.

After the fire at Hawkins’ ranch.

(Hawkins family)

Miracle in the Sandhills: Wilson and Hawkins Herds Survive

The Hawkins family lost more than half the ranch’s summer grazing land. They were able to save their home, hay and cattle.

“It pretty much took most everything, pasture-wise, from all of our surrounding neighbors, as it did us,” Wilson explains.

He lost 13,500 acres of grass and all the hay supplies he had allocated to get the ranch through calving, until turnout, and also for some carryover.

“We were able to save our home valley — our main hay meadow,” Wilson says. “We were able to save our two houses — it burned right up next to each of those. Thankfully, we were able to save our structures. Our cattle, thankfully, were safe.”

He describes the cattle’s survival as miraculous as the pasture around them was charred.

The Wilson family’s cow herd found safety under this big sandhill.

(Wilson Family)

“I fully expected to find a great amount of death loss,” Wilson says when he went to check on the cows the next morning. “I was just amazed when I saw they were safe and unharmed. They were able to tuck under one big sandhill and were in one spot under that hill where the fire didn’t burn. There was a halo or arc that remained where it didn’t burn.”

He’s not sure if the cows heard the horn or if they simply relied on their instincts to find safety.

With no grazing for the coming season, Wilson says the biggest need for Sandhills ranchers is hay and feed.

“We’re going to have to supplement these cattle every day for quite some time now. Our hope is that we can keep everything that’s going to calve here.”

(Adam Grabenstein)

Across the Miles, More Acres Burn Due to Wildfire

On the same day, more than 100 miles away, the Cottonwood Fire was burning in Lincoln and Dawson counties south of I-80.

Adam Grabenstein lives 10 miles south of Gothenburg along Highway 47, where the Cottonwood Fire began. Between 8:30 and 9 p.m., the fire crossed Highway 47 and within 45 minutes, it was on his doorstep.

The Cottonwood Fire approacing Adam Grabenstein’s home near Gothenburg.

(Adam Grabenstein)

“The wind was horrible,” he recalls. “Fifty to 60 mph sustained winds. You couldn’t see for the dust or the smoke, extremely, extremely dangerous conditions.”

Thanks to the efforts of local farmers, they were able to stop the fire about 4 miles north of the Highway 23 and 47 junction, east of Farnam.

“A lot of farmers hooked up their tractors and discs and hightailed it over there to help us stop the fire,” he explains. “When the wind switched out of the north, all the valley farmers brought their tractors and discs. When the wind switched again, it was kind of a reversal with guys from the south country going north. That demonstrates the heart and grit of rural America.”

Fighting fires all night, Grabenstein recalls how neighbors were helping neighbors, stressing the loss could have been much worse.

“There were points when you just felt helpless because the conditions were so ripe for fire — it was out of control,” he recalls of the emotions of that night. “You’re doing all you can, but it’s an extremely dangerous environment.”

His farming and ranching headquarters and feedlot are 10 miles south of his house.

The view from Adam Grabenstein’s home after the fire.

(Adam Grabenstein)

“My house is safe, but obviously we had a lot of smoke damage,” he says. “We’ve lost more than 2,500 acres of grazing lands.”

The difference between the Cottonwood and Morrill fire is terrain and fire fuel. Much of the Cottonwood fire included cedar trees and other wooded areas. To date, the Cottonwood Fire has burned more than 129,000 acres.

The Loss of a Neighbor

The Morrill wildfire claimed the life of 86-year-old Rose White of Arthur County.

Both the Hawkins and Wilsons called her a beloved neighbor who loved Halloween and hosting her neighbors and their children.

“Across the hills from where we were gathering cows, she lives about 3.5 miles southwest,” Julie explains.

White got stuck trying to leave her homestead, which had stood for more than 100 years. Reports say they found her about 15 feet from her vehicle. The whole place — the barn, house and vehicle — all burned.

Wilson says White lived 2 miles north of his ranch. Knowing her his entire life, he recalls the devastation he felt when he heard she died when he was still fighting fire on Thursday night.

“She’s a longtime family friend and was a longtime neighbor. We loved Rose,” he says. “She was a sweet, dear lady, always very friendly, happy and had a joyous personality. We’ll definitely miss her.”

When the Adrenaline Fades: The Hidden Toll on Ranchers

With little spring or summer grazing land left and most of their hay inventory burned, numerous Nebraska cow-calf ranchers are leaning on donated feed, disaster aid and tight-knit ranching communities to overcome the tremendous loss due to wildfires. The fires that ignited on March 12 continue to burn at 98% containment.

“We’ve had just terrific response from ranchers in other communities donating hay and fencing supplies or offering to come help with labor,” Wilson says. “The outpour of generosity has been amazing.”

There’s no doubt split-second choices and the grit to fight for their land and livestock defined how producers survived the recent wildfires.

“God is a big God, and he can send rains and heal our land, yet the damage that has been done is going to take time to heal,” Julie summarizes.

Reflecting on past blizzards, droughts and fires, Wilson adds: “There’s always challenges, there’s always loss. But I think the heart of the Sandhills people, and with the grit of the Nebraska Sandhills rancher, we’re going to continue that heritage and tradition, accept this head on and rebuild what we can and keep moving forward.”

Your Next Reads:
Ranchers Rally as Nebraska Faces Historic Wildfires
Historic Wildfires Continue to Scorch Western and Central Nebraska
After Wildfire: Livestock Care, Documentation and Recovery
Using the D.A.R.T. Method to Identify Smoke-Stressed Calves

Ranchers Rally as Nebraska Faces Historic Wildfires

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 20:01:49 GMT

With more than 800,000 acres of Nebraska scorched, ranchers are rallying together to overcome loss and support one another. From grass to hay to structures and water tanks, the loss across the state is monumental.

The rally of ranchers began when the fires sparked a week ago, as neighbors helped neighbors working to slow down the tornado-like wildfires as they tore across the Sandhills in the Morrill Fire and through the canyons of the Cottonwood Fire .

There are multiple stories of local fire departments, neighbors and family members creating fire breaks and helping move livestock and equipment out of danger zones.

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Van Newkirk Herefords

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Van Newkirk Herefords

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Van Newkirk Herefords

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Van Newkirk Herefords

“We’ve had a remarkable, unprecedented response to stop this fire and we will come up with an equally innovative solution for recovery,” says Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) Director Sherry Vinton.

Vinton had a chance to fly over the fire-charred area Tuesday.

“It was blowing sand,” she says. “It looks like the Sahara.”

Nebraska Sanhills after the Morrill Fire.

(Hawkins Family)

Oshkosh, Neb., rancher Joe Van Newkirk of Van Newkirk Herefords describes the former lush Nebraska Sandhills like a moonscape.

While no official livestock death losses have been reported, NDA says the scale of the impact is significant. Vinton explains the burned acreage represents a major hit to the state’s cattle capacity, particularly in the area of the Morrill Fire.

“If we say it’s roughly 600,000 acres, that’s a grazing resource for 35,000 cows,” Vinton says.

Vinton frames the recovery as a statewide promise to keep multigenerational ranches and their herds together even after hundreds of thousands of acres of rangeland have burned, plus the loss of hay, fence, structures and so much more.

Containment Improves, Yet 4 Fires Continue

Crews made a lot of progress containing the fires Wednesday. As of Friday morning, the approximate acres burned and current containment (according to Watch Duty ) include:

Morrill Fire (Keith, Arthur, Grant, Garden and Morrill counties, near Lake McConaughy)
- Acres burned — 643,361
- Containment — 98%
- Origin — downed power pole and line in gusty winds near Angora on Thursday, March 12
- Watch Duty link
- This is the largest fire in Nebraska history.
Cottonwood Fire (Dawson, Lincoln and Frontier counties, south of Interstate 80, near Brady and Gothenburg)
- Acres burned — 128,036
- Containment — 80%
- Watch Duty link
The Road 203 Fire (Thomas, Custer, Logan and Blaine counties, south of the communities of Halsey and Dunning within the Nebraska National Forest)
- Acres burned — 35,912.6
- Containment — 80%
- Watch Duty link
The Anderson Bridge Fire (Cherry County, in the northeast portion of the Samuel McKelvie National Forest southwest of Valentine)
- Acres burned — 17,400
- Containment — 60%
- Watch Duty link

A warming and drying trend will peak on Saturday, with 90-degree temperatures and single-digit relative humidity expected. The Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team managing the fires reports that these extreme weather conditions have potential to increase fire activity within fire perimeters as unburned vegetation ignites and readily burns. The team stressed in its Thursday morning update any new fires would likely spread rapidly.

Last week, Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen issued a statewide burn ban prohibiting burning until 11:59 p.m. March 27 to help reduce the potential for additional wildfires in Nebraska.

Ranchers Helping Ranchers

While the stories of ranchers helping each other during the intense fire danger on Thursday and Friday are moving, that commitment to helping one another continues long after the smoke cleared.

“That’s what ranchers do, right? They help each other,” says Sara Cover. “It’s too hard to do it alone ... that’s how they have functioned in this area for hundreds of years.”

Cover is one of the Sandhills ranchers who is helping with recovery efforts and the Nebraska Sandhills Rancher Fire Relief group, which is providing boots-on-the-ground assistance in coordinating donations of hay, supplies and financial support.

“Half these firefighters are volunteer firefighters that also had cows calving at home,” Cover explains. “So, it’s also the self-sacrifice of leaving your ranch during the busiest time of year to go help others.”

Many Sandhills ranchers have their own fire rig, so Cover explains in many cases the husbands would leave and go fight fire, leaving their wives and kids home calving cows. There are other examples of multiple generations — grandparents, parents and kids — all working together to fight the fires.

“It just takes everybody,” Cover says.

More than 150 truckloads of hay have arrived for ranchers who lost hay and grass due to the Morrill Fire.

(Provided by Van Newkirk Herefords)

Paul Cleveland is coordinating hay donations for the group.

As of Wednesday, Cleveland estimates the group has received 150 loads of hay and have four times that committed. The group’s goal is to get at least enough hay to get through calving season.

“The outpouring of support is phenomenal,” Cleveland says. “Hay is the immediate concern. We’re in the heart of calving season here, and the stress on these cows is off the charts. They truly know what it’s like to go through hell.”

He says the main challenge right now is not a lack of goodwill but rather information overload and logistics; he says he is “100 messages behind” responding to those who have reached out to support.

“Processing all the information is the biggest battle we have right now, and we need a lot of patience from people,” he stresses. “We’re not ignoring them, we’re trying to get back to them as fast as we can.”

The Nebraska fires follow February wildfires that burned more than 283,000 acres in northern Oklahoma and southern Kansas .

Cleveland says a rancher from Kansas, who was in the same role as he is now about a month earlier when fires hit that area, reached out to him and has been a strong emotional support and source of knowledge. Other ranchers report wildfire survivors, who have benefited from fellow ranchers donating hay and supplies, have reached out and offered to donate and pay the support forward.

It is those examples of care and concern from across the country that makes the beef industry so special.

Resources and Services Available

NDA is concentrating efforts on assisting farm and ranch families and their livestock. On the NDA website are lists of individuals requesting assistance and those offering donations.

Vinton shares her deep appreciation for what Nebraska ranchers do and says local, state and federal partners are actively working on solutions. She welcomes innovative ideas and invites producers to share their unmet needs directly with her team at NDA.

Those impacted by the fire are encouraged, before starting to repair or rebuild fence lines, to review federal aid requirements that could impact eligibility for assistance. Contact the local Farm Service Agency (FSA) office to understand qualification rules.

A portal to match grass and pen space with those in need has been developed. The platform was designed to help connect those needing to relocate livestock with those who have extra capacity.

There are numerous resources available as producers evaluate livestock after a wildfire. The danger to livestock doesn’t end when the flames are extinguished. While the immediate destruction is visible, the microscopic threat of wildfire smoke can linger in a calf’s lungs for weeks, triggering a cascade of physiological stress and immune suppression.

Craig Uden, Nebraska Cattlemen Association (NCA) president, was a guest on AgriTalk Thursday, sharing an update on the wildfires and how NCA is helping coordinate resources for ranchers in need.

How to Help

Nebraska Cattlemen Disaster Relief Fund

Mail monetary donations to: 4611 Cattle Dr., Lincoln, NE 68521-4309
Online donations: nebraskacattlemen.org/disaster-relief-fund

Nebraska Sandhills Rancher Fire Relief

Mail monetary donations to: P.O. Box 291, Oshkosh, NE 69154
Online donations: kearneyfoundation.fcsuite.com/.../create/fund...

Volunteer fire departments were central to the response, often stretched thin, needing more funds and equipment maintenance support after days of nonstop firefighting. Nebraska Athletics announced Tuesday it will donate all ticket proceeds from Nebraska’s spring football game on March 28 to aid Nebraska wildfire relief efforts to help provide support to Nebraska’s volunteer firefighters for equipment, resources and recovery efforts.

“Nebraskans always step up in times of need, and we want to do our part to help our fellow Nebraskans affected by these wildfires,” says Nebraska Athletic Director Troy Dannen.

Their Simple Request: Prayers and Hope

As individual ranchers report losing thousands of acres of grazing land, plus extensive fence and water system damage, they continue to speak of hope and optimism. They ask for prayers for snow or rain to help the Sandhills repair from the devastation. They all seem to share the determination to persevere.

“They’re the toughest, truest form of an American there is, and they’ll be fine,” Cleveland says about the Sandhills rancher. “They’ll persevere, but it’s going to be a long year for this area.”

Watch for rancher stories of resilience through the fires next week on Drovers.com, as we continue to cover this unprecedented wildfire season.

Your Next Reads:

Historic Wildfires Continue to Scorch Western and Central Nebraska

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 15:39:36 GMT

Four active wildfires in Nebraska — including the largest ever recorded in the state — continue to burn out of control. With containment efforts hampered by volatile weather, the fires grew beyond the capacity of local fire responders and firefighters; Saturday, the Rocky Mountain Complex incident management team, run by the federal National Interagency Fire ⁠Center, assumed management of the two largest fires, the Morrill Fire and the Cottonwood Fire.

High winds, low humidity and dry conditions triggered the wildfires Thursday, March 12. On Friday, the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) received 24 reports of wildfires in 24 hours. Crews have worked through the weekend to battle the four fires, but the weather hampered suppression efforts.

As of Tuesday evening, the approximate acres burned and current containment (according to Watch Duty ) include:

Morrill Fire (Keith, Arthur, Grant, Garden and Morrill counties)
- Acres burned — 643,360 acres
- Containment — 18%
- Origin — downed power pole and line in gusty winds near Angora on Thursday, March 12
- Watch Duty link
- This is the largest fire in Nebraska history.
  
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  Photos courtesy by Morrill Fire Nebraska Facebook page
  
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  Photos courtesy by Morrill Fire Nebraska Facebook page
  
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  Photos courtesy by Morrill Fire Nebraska Facebook page
Cottonwood Fire (Dawson, Lincoln and Frontier counties, south of Interstate 80, near Brady and Gothenburg)
- Acres burned — 131,259 acres
- Containment — 40%
- Watch Duty link
The Road 203 Fire (Thomas, Custer, Logan and Blaine counties, south of the communities of Halsey and Dunning within the Nebraska National Forest)
- Acres burned — 35,912.6 acres
- Containment — 76%
- Watch Duty link
The Anderson Bridge Fire (Cherry County, west of Valentine)
- Acres burned — 17,400
- Containment — 60%
- Watch Duty link

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen on Friday issued an emergency proclamation to unlock state resources and support the response to multiple wildfires in central and western Nebraska . He also issued a statewide burn ban prohibiting burning until 11:59 p.m. March 27 to help reduce the potential for additional wildfires in Nebraska.

A high wind warning is in effect until 6 p.m. MDT Monday. High rates of fire spread are possible with northwest wind gusts in excess of 50 mph expected. It has snowed on the northwest side of the Morrill Fire, but with the strong winds it may not mitigate fire behavior. With low temperatures forecast to be under 10°F tonight, firefighters must take special precautions to protect their engines and equipment, such as draining water, parking inside and using antifreeze.

While temperatures are cold today, hot and dry weather is forecast later in the week with record temperatures possible. The area is experiencing significant drought, and fuels are cured and receptive to fire.

Resources Available

The Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) is concentrating efforts on assisting farm and ranch families and their livestock.

Producers who have been impacted by the wildfire and need hay, feedstuffs, fencing materials, volunteer help or equipment, should call the Nebraska Department of Agriculture at 1-800-831-0550. Be prepared to share your name, contact information, location (including county), what assistance you are seeking and how urgent your need is.

A list of disaster relief resources for Nebraska farmers and ranchers is also available online at: https://nda.nebraska.gov/disasterresources . This website includes links to USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) programs including the Livestock Indemnity Program and information from the Nebraska Extension.

(Midwest Media by Melanie)

How Can Others Help?

According to NDA, Nebraska has been overwhelmed with the outpouring of support for its producers. If you have hay, feed, fencing materials, equipment or household supplies you are willing to donate, please contact the Nebraska Department of Agriculture at 1-800-831-0550. Be prepared to share your name, contact information and what you have that you are willing to donate and the amount, along with your location.

NDA staff will be gathering this information, identifying needs and sharing where resources can be obtained.

The Nebraska Cattlemen’s Association is also working to coordinate and gather resources for producers.

A Facebook page, Nebraska Sandhills Rancher Fire Relief , was created to support the ranching families affected by the wildfire.

Your Next Read: Tips for Care Following Wildfire

Why the Southern Plains Became a ‘Perfect Recipe’ for Wildfires

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 21:29:07 GMT

Farmers and ranchers across the Plains are dealing with the aftermath of devastating wildfires .

According to Drovers , fast-moving Ranger Road Fire has already scorched more than 283,000 acres in northern Oklahoma and southern Kansas since last week. The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture said Monday it’s now 65% contained, but the devastation has charred thousands of pasture and farmland, also killing an unknown number of cattle.

Flames spread across Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Colorado and New Mexico since last week. While March through April is typically wildfire season in Kansas, conditions across the Plains are creating conditions that are fueling the flames.

According to Brian Bledsoe of Brian Bledsoe Weather, the devastation is the result of a “worst-case scenario” pattern that has been building for months.

A Windy Season Meets Dry Fuels

Bledsoe says in order to understand why conditions are so ripe for wildfires this year, the calendar alone raises red flags.

“From February through early to mid-April, that’s traditionally when we see some of these higher-end wind events,” he explains. “But it’s not just about the wind. It’s about what the wind and fire combine to burn.”

The Southern Plains experienced adequate to above-average moisture over parts of the region during the past year. However, that broader window masks a sharp turn toward dryness in recent months.

When looking at the last 180 days, moisture held on in portions of the Oklahoma Panhandle and southwest Kansas. But conditions deteriorated quickly moving south into the Texas Panhandle. Over the past 90 days, dryness expanded northward into the heart of the wildfire zone.

90-day precip map for the Plains

(Brian Bledsoe, Brian Bledsoe Weather )

Zooming in further, the last 30 days tell the most concerning story. Some locations in the Oklahoma Panhandle and southwest Kansas have received just 5% to 20% of average precipitation.

That rapid drying followed a warm-season growing period that produced ample vegetation. Once cured and left without additional moisture or snow cover, those grasses became prime fuel.

“You grow up all that vegetation during the warm season, then you dry it out and don’t get anything else to keep it somewhat wet so it doesn’t burn. It’s a perfect recipe,” Bledsoe says.

Precipitation over the past 30 days.

(Brian Bledsoe, Brian Bledsoe Weather)

Wildfires in the Plains

The setup isn’t without precedent. In late February 2024, the Smokehouse Creek Fire burned more than a million acres in the Canadian River Valley of the Texas Panhandle under similar conditions, which were strong winds, above-average warmth and critically dry fuels.

“This is not unprecedented for the Western High Plains this time of year,” Bledsoe notes. “It’s just the worst-case scenario when you put all those things together.”

Little Relief in the Forecast

Unfortunately for producers hoping for moisture, the near-term outlook offers limited help.

Over the next 10 days, much of the U.S. is expected to trend drier than average. The only notably wet areas are projected to be in Northern California and the Pacific Northwest. Meanwhile, above-average temperatures are likely to persist across much of the Plains, with colder air remaining locked in Canada.

The short-term forecast shows little relief for much of the U.S.

(Brian Bledsoe, Brian Bledsoe Weather)

Above normal temperatures could also pose a problem for producers in the West and Plains.

(Brian Bledsoe, Brian Bledsoe Weather)

“This pattern is not going to be that favorable to grace those areas that we’re dealing with the wildfires with any real significant moisture,” Bledsoe says. “In fact, you see a pretty good chunk of the U.S. that will likely see just drier than average conditions for that 10-day period. Not necessarily dry for everybody, but drier than average. The only really wet areas will be in Northern California and the Pacific Northwest. And we’re going to revert back to the warmth too.”

Looking ahead to March, extended European model guidance suggests a continuation of the pattern: dry conditions across California, Arizona, New Mexico and much of Texas and the Southwest High Plains, with wetter conditions developing farther east.

The extended forecast shows little relief across the Plains.

(Brian Bledsoe, Brian Bledsoe Weather)

March is often a volatile month, Bledsoe says, bringing sharp contrasts between “haves” and “have-nots” in terms of precipitation.

“You’re going to the haves farther east, and then areas farther south and west that have been kind of shut out are probably going struggle a little bit. And time, I know it only takes one storm to change this narrative here in the Western High Plains to cover the ground with snow or put more moisture in the ground or kind of turn the corner,” he says. “But right now this pattern is not conducive to bringing one of those significant storms into the fray.”

Bledsoe knows more than anyone that the forecast can change, but the set-up right now doesn’t look favorable for moisture in the Plains through March.

“It only takes one storm to change the narrative, to cover the ground with snow or put meaningful moisture back into the soil,” he says. “But right now, this pattern is not conducive to bringing one of those significant storms into the fray.”

For livestock producers and farmers across the High Plains, that means continued vigilance. With cured grasses, persistent wind and limited precipitation in the forecast, wildfire risk may remain elevated as the region moves deeper into its traditional spring wind season.

After the Fire: The Need for Feed, Fence and Prayers

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 21:19:02 GMT

Wildfires plagued the Plains last week from southern Kansas into Oklahoma and Texas. Hundreds of thousands of acres of grass are now burned to sand.

The Ranger Road Fire, which started in Oklahoma and made its way into southern Kansas, to date has burned more than 283,000 acres and is 65% contained as of Monday morning, according to the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry .

The Oklahoma Forestry Services reports moderated fire weather over dormant fuels resulted in a downtick in wildfire activity over the weekend, allowing firefighters to improve the containment of recent large fires.

“Conditions also supported opportunity to execute burn plans for prescribed fires,” the report says. “If you engaged in prescribed burning, controlled burns or pile burns over the weekend, please ensure that fire perimeters are mopped up and secured ahead of increasing fire weather concerns Tuesday through the remainder of the week.”

Read more about how strong winds, above-average warmth and months of worsening dryness created a “perfect recipe”

for wildfires across the Southern Plains, scorching pasture and farmland — with little moisture relief in the forecast:

Why the Southern Plains Became a ‘Perfect Recipe’ for Wildfire

The wildfires have left a path of heartbreak and devastation. From the loss of livestock and homes, barns and shops to pastures and fence, the damage is hard to fathom.

Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur visited Oklahoma producers impacted by the wildfires on Thursday. “Please pray for our farmers and ranchers and our first responders who continue to battle challenging fires and weather,” she says.

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Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur

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Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur

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Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur

Dr. Randall Spare, Ashland Veterinary Center Inc., says nine years after the losses resulting from the Starbuck Wildfire — still the largest, most extensive wildfire in Kansas history — many of the same ranchers have been affected by the Ranger Road Fire.

Spare explains the wildfire was unstoppable with little farmland or breaks to get ahead of the fire plus the extreme wind. The fire started near Beaver, Okla., at 11 a.m., and he reports many ranchers in the path were moving cattle by noon. He says the highest losses occurred where there were no nearby wheat fields or safe pasture alternatives for the cattle.

“When you have contiguous grass for 90 miles, and the fire line was 90 miles long, from Beaver, Okla. to Protection, Kan., and it was moving 70 miles an hour, it’s hard to get in front of it,” he says.

He also explains because of the good moisture in 2025 and good stewardship of the land, there was a lot of tall, dense forage to fuel the fire.

“Many of the best stewards — those who don’t overgraze and stockpile grass for calving and drought management — actually experienced some of the worst damage,” he explains. “Because they’ve done a good job of managing their grass and have forage to eat in the spring of the year before the growing season starts to calve on, they experienced some of the greatest damage.”

Spare says the Ranger Road Fire took the same path as the Starbuck Fire, but it did not burn as many acres in Kansas — about one-third less in comparison.

“The good thing is it did not go north of Ashland. It’s five miles south of Ashland before it starts and not near the acreage burned,” he summarizes. “Since it isn’t like the Starbuck Fire, we have an opportunity as neighbors to help neighbors, whereas before we couldn’t do that because we were all affected.”

He predicts producers in Kansas lost 1,000 to 1,100 head. He adds there will continue to be more loss as producers evaluate cattle condition.

“One of the biggest damage is feet,” he explains. “The walls of their hooves start to fall off due to the fire. And sometimes that doesn’t show up for five days.”

How Can You Help?

According to Reuters , other fires have burned thousands more acres in Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas.

In agriculture, community is strong. When one producer hurts we all feel it and, if possible, we step up and help our neighbors in need. Along with prayers, Spare adds the immediate needs are:

Hay
Money (financial support)

In response to producers offering help, Spare shares a list of ways others can support ranchers recovering from the wildfires on social media, including lessons learned from the Starbuck Fire.

“I would like to share what we learned from the Starbuck Fire that, hopefully, will be helpful as you consider making decisions about how to help,” he writes.

Fencing supplies: “After the Starbuck Fire, we learned that if federal funds are used to rebuild and replace fences, the construction requirements to access those funds are very specific regarding type of wire, posts, etc. While the generosity of those giving nine years ago was remarkable, we were limited in how much of the donated resources actually could be used simply because federal loss recovery funds needed to be used, and the donated fencing supplies didn’t meet government specifications.”
Money: “Today, money is the most precious resource and in the greatest need. Many of the ranching operations affected need time to truly assess their losses. Some are finding cattle they first thought to be lost, alive and safe. Others are experiencing the opposite and unfortunately are seeing the losses increase.”
Available pasture and grassland: “If you have pasture available either short term or long term, please reach out to Ashland Community Foundation, Kansas Livestock Association or Ashland Veterinary Center,” he suggests.
Hay: There are designated drop off locations ready to accept loads of hay.

Multiple organizations have stepped up and are organizing supplies and assistance.

• Kansas Livestock Association. KLA is helping connect those wishing to donate with the most suitable drop location. If you’re hoping to donate goods including livestock feed or hay, you can contact KLA at (785) 273-5115, or visit this website . On KLA’s Facebook page you can find posts from feedlots that are offering pen space to wildfire victims.

• The Ashland Community Foundation. ACF is accepting monetary donations to help those affected by the fires in their community. To donate, please visit the ACF website and select “Become A Partner” in the dropdown. Donations are also being accepted at Stockgrowers State Bank or can be mailed to ACF at P.O. Box 276, Ashland, KS 67831.

• Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Foundation. OCF has established a relief fund to help cattle producers who have been affected. As the 501(c)(3) charitable arm of the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association, the fire relief fund at the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Foundation will distribute 100% of received funds to affected cattle producers. You can give online or make checks payable to Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Foundation with “Fire Relief” in the memo line and mail to P.O. Box 82395, Oklahoma City, OK 73148.

• Beaver County Stockyards and Beaver County OSU Extension office. For those willing to donate feed or hay to the Beaver County, Okla., area, visit the Stockyards website or the Extension office website .

• Beaneighbor.org . The Oklahoma Healthcare Authority, provides access to local support including financial assistance, food pantries, medical care, and other free or reduced-cost help. Search for aid in your area at Beaneighbor.org.

Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry reminds the public to use caution before bringing hay to northwest Oklahoma to prevent the spread of invasive fire ants. Find out if your county is under quarantine for fire ants on the USDA website

Fire Weather is Not Over: Stay Prepared

The Kansas Forest Service reminds producers there are still months of fire season to come.

“As firefighters continue to mop up or extinguish hot spots along miles of fire line, recovery begins for the communities most impacted by recent wildfires,” the agency says. “Many wildfire managers are already preparing for the next round of fire weather.”

While recovery and readiness are happening at the same time, the forest service share these two tips:

Learn how to prepare your home and property for a wildfire. Proper preparation can help your home withstand a wildfire.
Have a plan when the wildfire is heading toward your home or property.

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension has a Fires & Wildfires website dedicated to providing resources to help prepare for and survive wildfires.

A Note to Survivors

Spare says his message to producers who are recovering from the wildfires is to:

Think beyond today. Plan not only for immediate survival but for summer grazing and next winter’s feed. Recognize that hay now is also about having feed later, since grass is gone.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. “If you are struggling, reach out to a trusted friend and accept neighbor and outside assistance,” he stresses.

Spare summarizes producers from his area are deeply appreciative and humbled by people from across the country who helped nine years ago and are helping again now, even to the point that local folks feel “almost embarrassed” it happened again.

“But it is life, and we’re going to trust God and go on,” he says.

Your Next Read: Tips for Care Following Wildfire

Ranchers on Alert as Wildfires Spread Across the Plains

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 22:16:50 GMT

High fire danger continues after wildfires swept across western Oklahoma, southwest Kansas and the Texas Panhandle on Tuesday forcing numerous evacuations. High wind gusts and low humidity Thursday will cause more threats for fire danger. Thursday morning, red-flag warnings were issued once again for the same region, including most of Oklahoma; Southern Kansas and Western North Texas.

The message to those in the red flag warning areas: do not burn, and if you see smoke, report it.

With containment efforts underway and the situation still unfolding, here is the current status of the fires challenging Plains ranchers:

Oklahoma

Reports say more than 300,000 acres have burned across Oklahoma since Tuesday.
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt signed Executive Order 2026-09 declaring a State of Emergency in Beaver, Texas and Woodward counties following a series of destructive wildfires across northwest Oklahoma.

“The Woodward fires are about 20% contained, and we were very fortunate to keep most neighborhoods safe. A few homes were lost, and we’re keeping four injured firefighters in our prayers as they recover after working tirelessly through the night,” Governor Stitt reports on Wednesday. “I’m deeply grateful for the incredible efforts of our firefighters and forestry crews on the ground. In Beaver County, the town of Tyrone was evacuated earlier as a precaution. As we head into today and tomorrow, conditions remain dangerous. We need every Oklahoman to stay alert and continue taking fire warnings seriously.”

The Stevens Fire, that started east of Hooker, Okla., had burned an estimated 12,428 acres as of Thursday morning and is 50% contained.

Track Oklahoma Wildfires

The Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Foundation has established a Fire Relief Fund to support cattle producers impacted by the recent wildfires in Northwest Oklahoma. Read the full press release and donate now at okcattlemen.org.

Kansas

According to the Kansas Forest Service , fires across Kansas remained active overnight with firefighters working through the night and are making steady progress on many incidents today.

In coordination with the Kansas Division of Emergency Management and the Office of the State Fire Marshal, additional resources from across the state have deployed and are supporting local responders. With continued elevated fire weather statewide, more firefighters are available and strategically staged for rapid response.

Winds have decreased enough to allow aviation resources to assist where needed. Kansas is coordinating aircraft with Oklahoma Forestry Services on the Ranger Road Fire.

“At this time, all evacuation notices have been rescinded,” the Kansas Forest Service reports. “Evacuations, if needed, will be coordinated through local emergency management agencies. Please make sure you are signed up for your county’s emergency alert text notifications so you can receive timely updates.”

Updates as of 6 a.m. Thursday:
Stevens Fire (Seward Co. Fire): Burned from Texas County, Okla, into Seward County, KS. Located southwest of Liberal. The fire is 50% contained and has burned 12,428 acres.

Andrew Lane Fire (Seward Co. Fire #2): Located southeast of Liberal and remains active. Aviation resources are assisting firefighters on the ground. The Johnson County Task Force and Kansas Forest Service DFMO Williams are coordinating closely with local departments.

Tennis Fire (Garden City Fire): Good progress continues. Kansas Forest Service DFMO Brad Ilonummi is transitioning to assist with other fires in the area. A state task force remains integrated with local firefighters.

Ranger Road Fire (Started in Beaver Co., Okla.): Remains active. Coordination continues between Oklahoma and Kansas state resources.

The Ranger Road Fire originated in Beaver County in the Oklahoma Panhandle spread north into southern Kansas, impacting areas in Clark and Meade counties. The fire crossed the Oklahoma and Kansas state line, burned near the Cimarron River, and affected communities along Highways 64, 270 and 283. The blaze was moving east-northeast under strong wind conditions. As of 6 a.m. Thursday, the Ranger Road Fire has burned more than 283,283 acres and is 15% contained.

“Extremely high winds and dry ground and air produced conditions ideal for multiple fires to build and spread in several counties in southwest Kansas yesterday, with some still uncontained,” explains Scarlett Madinger, KLA vice president of communications. “While we continue to assess the needs of those in the hardest hit areas, we know producers have lost fence, livestock and feed resources. Donations of hay and fencing supplies are being accepted at various collection sites, as those are the most immediate needs. If people would like to donate, they can call the KLA office at (785) 273-5115 and we will help coordinate a drop-off.”

Kansas Secretary of Agriculture Mike Beam joined Chip Flory on AgriTalk Wednesday and discussed the wildfire situation in Kansas and what recovery resources are available.

Texas

According to the Texas A&M Forest Service, the organization received nine requests for assistance on wildfires burning 18,522.9 acres on Tuesday. Wednesday was a quieter day in Texas with three requests burning 371 acres.

As of 9 a.m. on Thursday, there are four active — Jones 1507, 8 Ball, Lavendar and Canadian Bridge. The 8 Ball Fire in Armstrong County is 40% contained and has burned about 13,000 acres. The Lavendar fire in Oldham County is 20% contained and has burned about 12,000 acres.

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller declared an Agricultural Emergency, rallying Texans to back the State of Texas Agriculture Relief (STAR) Fund and urging wildfire-hit producers and agribusinesses to seek financial aid. Across the Panhandle and West Texas, Texans are facing devastating losses due to wildfires.

“Texans always rise for neighbors in crisis,” Commissioner Miller says. “I’m calling on individuals, businesses, and groups statewide to fuel the STAR Fund to help sustain the backbone of our food, fiber and fuel supply.”

The STAR Fund, administered by the Texas Department of Agriculture, is a private-donation-funded disaster relief program that provides recovery grants to eligible farmers, ranchers, and agribusinesses at no cost to taxpayers to help repair or rebuild damaged agricultural infrastructure.

Ranchers needing hay can use TDA’s Hay Hotline, (877) 429-1998, a free service linking hay providers and those in need, including during emergencies, for donations.

TDA reminds Texans that mental health support is available 24/7 through the AgriStress Helpline, staffed by trained professionals familiar with rural challenges. Commissioner Miller stresses the importance of mental well-being in crises. If you or a loved one experiences a mental health crisis during this time, call 833-897-2474.

The Impact of Wildfires on the Agricultural Sector

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 00:44:40 GMT

In the United States, data collected by the National Inter-Agency Fire Center indicates that wildfires in recent years have caused far more damage than they did even a few decades ago. The average number of burned acres over the 2020-24 period was 7.3 million acres, a nearly 250 percent increase over the five-year period of 1983-88. Extensive research has found that the bulk of the increase in wildfires both in the United States and globally is occurring as a result of man-made climate change, as both higher temperatures and reduced rainfall have extended fire seasons, left trees and other vegetation drier and more prone to burning, and are far too often accompanied by high winds, which was a significant driving force in the extensive wildfires that hit greater Los Angeles, CA in January 2025. A 2023 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) found that the 500 percent increase in burn area for summer forest fires occurring in California for the fifteen year period ending in 2021 compared to a fifteen year period between 1971 and 1996 was almost entirely attributable to climate change. Similarly, a study released at the recent COP30 international climate change meetings in Brazil projected that climate change would induce significant increases in seasonal fire weather conditions across between 68 and 91 percent of the world’s fire-prone area by the end of the twenty-first century, depending on the emission scenario.

Recent research indicates that the increase in wildfire frequency and magnitude has had measurable impacts on human health, stemming in particular from respiratory issues. Evidence shows that wildfires generally emit a significant amount of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) that is inhaled by firefighters and people living in or near the areas where the fires have occurred. This fire-generated PM has been found to have a different composition than the fine PM that people encounter from urban air pollution, including more oxidative components (such as oxygenated hydrocarbons) and pro-inflammatory components (like aldehydes). They also emit more carbon monoxide and ozone, which are also harmful to human health.

An article published in Nature Communications Earth and Environment in 2025 found that the climate-change induced increase in wildfires has led to more than 15,000 additional deaths from wildfire-generated PM respiratory issues over a 15-year period (between 2006 and 2020) in the western United States alone. These human health impacts created an estimated economic burden of $160 billion for the same region. Intense wildfires that strike urban environs, like last year’s massive fires in the Los Angeles, CA area, also leave behind on the ground or in damaged structures a toxic brew of ash and residue that includes incinerated cars, electronics, paints, furniture and every other kind of personal belonging, which may contain an unknown quantity of pesticides, asbestos, plastics, lead or other heavy metals. This material can persist for months or even years unless properly remediated. Excessive exposure to these substances can lead to not only respiratory problems but also neurological and cardiovascular problems. Within weeks after the LA fire, a massive study of its human health impacts was commissioned with funding from the Spiegel Family Fund, bringing in researchers from California universities such as UCLA and UC-Davis, as well as Harvard University and the University of Texas at Austin.

The agricultural sector has also experienced significant problems as a result of the increased magnitude and frequency of wildfires in its proximity. As just discussed, respiratory issues often increase in populations close enough to wildfires to inhale smoke and particulate matter thrown off by the blaze. This is a particular problem for farmers, their family members, and farm workers in the western U.S., who are often harvesting crops at the same time that the region’s fire season is peaking. A survey of farm workers in Sonoma County in California found that nearly three-quarters of them had worked at least once under wildfire smoke or hazardous air quality conditions in the past several years. Even though the state of California requires farms to provide protective gear to their workers in such situations, most of them received inadequate protection, such as surgical masks, or nothing at all. This work was conducted by faculty members at the University of California at Berkeley.

In addition, it is likely that everyone living in close proximity to where wildfires occur suffers at least some mental stress due to awareness of risk of loss of life and property for themselves and their loved ones. It is reported that 31 people lost their lives in last year’s LA fires, and many thousands of families from neighborhoods like Pacific Palisades and Altadena have not yet been able to resume their normal lives yet,

When it comes to crop production, wildfires can not only destroy or damage the crops that are currently in the field, even those under irrigation, but it can also scorch the topsoil and subsoil layers in the field, potentially causing longer-term impacts. A meta-analysis conducted by scientists at Clemson University found that the composition of a microbiome can change after a wildfire, with a decline in the diversity of both fungal and bacterial species that are present. This can disrupt the functioning of the entire ecosystem. In addition, we know that certain crops, like grapes and cannabis, can be adversely affected by exposure to wildfire smoke, which can alter the quality of the crop. For example, most of the wine grape crop in Napa County, California in 2020 was affected by smoke taint in the wake of the major fires in northern California in that year, and the harvested grapes could not be used at all to make wine. Grape producers in that county collected $111 million in federal crop insurance indemnities for the 2020 crop year, as compared to an average of $3.7 million annually over the five previous years.

Drought Conditions Intensify Threat Of Field And Combine Fires

Mon, 22 Sep 2025 19:56:58 GMT

High temperatures and low humidity across the eastern and western Corn Belt this past week have increased the risks for field and combine fires as harvest ramps up across the country.

With the dry conditions, Ken Ferrie encourages everyone to have plans A and B in place, ready to implement if fire occurs.

“If your plan A is to call the fire department, remember, in rural America, most of our great volunteer firemen are running their own combines, so response time is a challenge,” he says.

While Ferrie believes you – or someone on your team – needs to call the fire department or 911 to get help, he says to consider making containment your Plan A.

In the case of a field fire, keep a tillage tool or spray tender nearby. “Have it in the field with you ready to go,” he advises.

Crops that are extremely dry coupled with even a bit of wind can set up a fast-moving scenario you need to snuff out quickly. Time is of the essence, as a fire can double in size within a mere minute or two.

“That situation won’t wait for you to go home, find a tractor, dig out a tillage tool or stick a hose in your spray tender and get to your field,” Ferrie says. “You won’t have the time to do that.”

A fully engulfed corn crib fire spread to nearby fields in Foosland this Friday.
📸: Mackenzie Wichtnerhttps://t.co/XkFERxHVf6 pic.twitter.com/1sG1uVVlMW
— WICS ABC 20 (@wics_abc20) September 19, 2025

In case of a combine fire, turn off the engine, get away from the machine, and phone for help.

Then, attack with fire extinguishers if it is safe to do so, advises Joshua Michel, Iowa State University field agronomist, in an online article .

“Try to fight from the ‘black,’ the area already burned,” Michel says. “Attacking a fire from areas with combustibles (e.g. dry corn stalks) is much riskier. Always stay upwind of a fire to minimize the risk of exposure from smoke, heat and possible flames.”

Keeping a shovel on the combine to throw dirt on a fire can also help.

Five Practical Steps To Be Ready For A Fire

Here are five additional things you can do to address a fire or prevent one from occurring this harvest:

1. As you combine fields, Ferrie says to keep in mind the wind direction. “Combine downwind, if possible, on windy days so if we have a combine fire it burns away from the crop,” he advises.

2. Have a daily maintenance plan for your equipment, including blowing off chaff and debris, properly lubricating chains/bearings, and cleaning up spills, advises Ohio State University Extension (OSU).

“The majority of harvester fires start in the engine compartment. Contributing factors for heat sources include faulty wiring, over-heated bearings, leaking fuel or hydraulic oil,” report Wayne Dellinger and Dee Jepsen at OSU, in this online article .

3. Have two ABC-rated fire extinguishers on hand. Keep a smaller 10-pound unit in the cab and a larger 20-pound extinguisher at ground level on the combine. Keeping an extra fire extinguisher on other pieces of machinery or trucks that are out in the field is also a good idea.

4. Invert the fire extinguisher once or twice during the season to ensure that machine vibrations don’t compact the powder inside.

5. Review your fire emergency plan with family and employees. As part of that, create a list with the 911 addresses for each of your field locations prior to harvest and have them easily accessible to family members and farm employees, Michel encourages. When a fire is called in with a 911 address, dispatch can more readily identify the incident location and relay this information to the fire department. This can save precious time as some fields may be in remote locations.

Your next read: 5 Critical Insights From The Southern Rust Rampage In Midwest Corn

USDA Expedites $16 Billion in Disaster Aid Payments: What Crop Farmers Need to Know

Wed, 09 Jul 2025 20:13:49 GMT

It’s the largest portion of the $21 billion in disaster aid approved by Congress at the end of 2024. And this week, USDA announced farmers will be able to start signing up for $16 billion in disaster aid payments starting this week through the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP).

The disaster aid was approved by Congress as part of the continuing resolution in December. On Wednesday, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced producers who suffered eligible crop losses due to natural disasters in 2023 and 2024 can start applying for the $16 billion in assistance starting July 10. This is in addition to the $1 billion in livestock disaster aid already announced by USDA .

USDA says in order to expedite the process, its Farm Service Agency (FSA) will deliver the assistance in two stages.

Stage One: This is open to producers with eligible crop losses that received assistance under crop insurance or the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance program (NAP) during 2023 and 2024. USDA says those sign-ups will start in person at local FSA offices July 10. Prefilled applications are also being mailed to producers starting today.
Stage Two: Those sign-ups that apply to eligible shallow or uncovered losses will begin in early fall.

USDA says FSA is launching a streamlined, prefilled application process for eligible crop, tree and vine losses by leveraging existing NAP and Risk Management Agency indemnified loss data. The prefilled applications, which is part of stage one, is what is being mailed now.

“American farmers are no stranger to natural disasters that cause losses that leave no region or crop unscathed. Under President Trump’s leadership, USDA has worked around the clock to deliver this relief directly to our farmers,” said Secretary Rollins in a statement. “We are taking swift action to ensure farmers will have the resources they need to continue to produce the safest, most reliable and most abundant food supply in the world.”

Who’s Eligible?
Under the latest program, producers who suffered losses due to natural disasters in the 2023 and/or 2024 years are eligible. The disasters include wildfires, hurricanes, floods, derechos, excessive heat, tornadoes, winter storms, freeze (including a polar vortex), smoke exposure, excessive moisture, qualifying drought and related conditions.

When it comes to drought, USDA says the producer’s county must have been rated by the U.S. Drought Monitor as having a D2 (severe drought) for eight consecutive weeks, D3 (extreme drought) or greater intensity level during the applicable calendar year.

What’s Next?
Once those payments are released, USDA’s final phase of the American Relief Act will be another emergency livestock relief program, but this covers flood losses producers saw in 2023 and 2024.

Appleton says that’s been the most difficult program to outline and detail, as USDA has never administered a disaster program for livestock that covered losses due to flooding.

“We’ve never had a disaster program for livestock that was triggered on flooding, so that piece of it is going to take us a little bit longer,” USDA deputy undersecretary Brooke Appleton told Farm Journal last month. “As these programs are ready to roll out, we’re focused on doing it as soon as we can, rather than holding them all and doing it all at once. We want to make sure as soon is the assistance is ready to go, we are getting it out and getting it to the folks who need it.”

USDA says it is fully committed to expediting remaining disaster assistance provided by the American Relief Act 2025. On May 7, it launched its 2023/2024 Supplemental Disaster Assistance public landing page where the status of USDA disaster assistance and block grant roll out timeline can be tracked.

When Farmers Can Expect the Next Round of American Relief Act Payments

Tue, 03 Jun 2025 13:51:10 GMT

USDA is currently in the trenches of issuing the nearly $31 billion in total disaster and emergency relief aid to farmers and ranchers in four stages. That money was appropriated by Congress as part of the American Relief Act, which was passed in December of 2024. In an exclusive interview with Farm Journal on Monday, USDA Deputy Undersecretary Brooke Appleton said the next round of disaster aid payments could be coming the first full week of July.

USDA began issuing the $1 billion in emergency livestock relief program payments last week, which is the latest in a series of disaster and emergency relief. Appleton told Farm Journal that instead of holding the money and issuing it all at once, USDA decided to issue the payments in four phases, as USDA wanted to get assistance out to producers as quickly as possible.

“We had ECAP (Emergency Commodity Assistance Program) , we now have the Emergency Livestock Relief Program, we’re going to have supplemental disaster relief, and then we’re going to have another emergency livestock relief program to cover the flood losses that we saw in ‘23 and ’24,” Appleton said. “So, we’re kind of doing it in stages, it should stream out all through the summer really, and so I’m hoping that that kind of can relieve some of that financial stress.”

Appleton said USDA has issued $7.7 billion out of the appropriated $10 billion in direct payments under ECAP so far, which was the first stage of payments. Sign-ups for that program began in March. USDA initially issued 85% of a producer’s projected payment, with the remaining 15% expected after sign-ups close on Aug. 15.

Just last week, USDA announced the details surrounding $1 billion in Emergency Livestock Relief Program payments , which is the second phase of the American Relief Act. Those payments are being dispersed now, and it covers grazing losses due to eligible drought or wildfire events that happened in 2023 and 2024. That round of the program doesn’t require producers to sign up, as USDA is using existing information. Since the program was announced on May 29, USDA says it’s dispersed more than $641 million in payments to livestock producers who suffered grazing losses during that time.

“FSA is leveraging existing livestock forage disaster program data to streamline these payments and calculations to expedite that relief. So this was unlike most of our programs, farmers and ranchers didn’t have to go into the office to sign up,” Appleton said. “We already have the information. So those emergency relief payments were automatically issued to producers who had already had their data into their FSA office. And those payments started going out in earnest last week, so May 30.”

The next round of American Relief Act disaster aid payments is the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program, which is the larger amount appropriated by Congress. Appleton told Farm Journal details surrounding those payments are being prepared now, and USDA expects to issue those payments next month. The amount of money that will go out during the next round isn’t known at this time, as a USDA official says the agency is still “working diligently to balance the needs with the available funding.”

“The larger supplemental disaster program that is part of that is making its way through the process right now at USDA and other government agencies,” Appleton said. “The timeline for that, we’re targeting to sign up farmers by the first full week in July, so maybe the week of July 7. That will be literally every crop production loss that has happened for ‘23 and ’24, and that’s just additional disaster assistance that was legislated by Congress.”

Once those payments are released, USDA’s final phase of the American Relief Act will be another emergency livestock relief program, but this covers flood losses producers saw in 2023 and 2024.

Appleton says that’s been the most difficult program to outline and detail, as USDA has never administered a disaster program for livestock that covered losses due to flooding.

“We’ve never had a disaster program for livestock that triggered on flooding, so that piece of it is going to take us a little bit longer,” she said. “And that’s something that’s another piece of this larger disaster package. It’s going to roll out later this summer, but as these programs are ready to go and ready to roll out, we’re focused on doing it as soon as we can, rather than holding them all and doing it all at once. We want to make sure as soon is the assistance is ready to go, we are getting it out and we’re getting it to the folks who need it.”

Congress earmarked $2 billion for livestock losses due to droughts, wildfires and floods. The first livestock disaster aid announced last week totaled $1 billion, which means another $1 billion should be dispersed through the livestock disaster payments that cover losses due to flooding.

USDA says it is fully committed to expediting remaining disaster assistance provided by the American Relief Act 2025. On May 7, it launched its 2023/2024 Supplemental Disaster Assistance public landing page where the status of USDA disaster assistance and block grant rollout timeline can be tracked.

Rollins Says USDA Will Announce Application Process for $21 Billion in Disaster Aid Within Days

Wed, 07 May 2025 18:44:01 GMT

In her first hearing on Capitol Hill since the confirmation process earlier this year, Secretary Brooke Rollins faced the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday, fielding questions on everything from USDA’s bold budget cuts and frozen funding to the fate of the nearly $21 billion in disaster aid.

Rollins fiercely defended the cuts, continuing to argue that it is a way to make USDA more effective and more efficient. She also told the committee that farmers will be able to sign up for the disaster aid by the end of May.

Congress approved the disaster aid on Dec. 21, 2024. While the $10 billion in Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) was passed the same day, it was separate and came with a clear deadline on when USDA had to disperse those funds. In the hearing this week, Rollins admitted the disaster aid program has been more complicated to roll out.

“That one’s a little more complicated than the ECAP, the disaster or the emergency relief payments, but we’re really close and within a matter of days or weeks, certainly by the end of this month, that money will begin moving,” Rollins said on Tuesday.

The nearly $21 billion in disaster aid targets agricultural losses from natural disasters in 2023 and 2024, which includes:

Droughts
Hurricanes
Floods
Wildfires
And other extreme weather events.

Of those funds, $2 billion is earmarked for livestock losses attributed to droughts wildfires and floods. There is also an allocation of $220 million that will be distributed through block grants to smaller agricultural states with limited farm income and acreage.

“We are within days of announcing the application process,” Rollins said. “Of course, that’s a little more complicated because we don’t have the specifics, and it isn’t, as [Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D.] mentioned, in North Dakota, 15,794 of your farmers and ranchers have received money through that first tranche, through the first $10 billion, the emergency aid. On the weather-related programs, that application opens in the next week or two. And we will be moving very, very quickly.”

.@SecRollins testifies before Congress: "When farmers prosper, rural America prospers." pic.twitter.com/rXwV12JPDD
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 6, 2025

According to Pro Farmer, the disaster aid is intended to cover losses in revenue, production quality, and infrastructure for crops, livestock and timber. And most of the aid is expected to be administered through USDA’s Emergency Relief Program (ERP), which has been used for similar disaster relief in previous years. However, USDA has indicated the new program will be more farmer-friendly than the Biden administration’s implementation of the last ag disaster funds.

Rollins says the rollout of the disaster aid funds is “a long time coming,” bacause it is related to disasters that happened as long as two years ago.

“And so ensuring that we get that out as quickly as we possibly can with the team that we have in place,” Rollins said. “I’m really proud of, I believe, how efficiently and how quickly the team moved out that first tranche. And I believe that you’ll see the same sort of efficiency and effectiveness with the second tranche, so it’s within the coming weeks.”

Rollins Fiercely Defends Cuts at USDA

Also in the hearing, Rollins defended recent budget and DOGE cuts, saying her team is eliminating what she called wasteful DEI spending, fraud and abuse in all USDA programs. She argued the plan is to rebuild USDA to put farmers first.

Rollins also discussed some frozen funds at the agency and when a review of them will be completed.

“We are working around the clock, going line by line, we’re down to the final 5 billion out of, I believe, almost 20 billion of frozen funds, but $5 billion is a lot of money,” Rollins said. “And when you think about that in terms of grant or contract and moving that out quickly, we’re very helpful to keep moving through that very, very quickly and have that done very soon.”

Rollins was also asked about the 15,000 USDA employees who have taken buyout offers from the federal government . Reports show that accounts for nearly USDA’s total workforece, and impacts farmer-facing agencies such as Natural Resources Conservation Service and Farm Service Agency.

“The 15,000 number, it is less than 15% of our total workforce,” Rollins said. “I realize that’s still a very, very big number. But I think it’s important to realize in the context that every year USDA, through attrition loses between 8,000 and 10,000 employees. So, it’s a massive government agency, but they’re refilled. Well, and that’s what we are looking to refill. The front liners, that’s I was talking about right now. So whether it’s FSA, APHIS, the Wildland Firefighters, those are through a memorandum I just signed, we are actively looking and recruiting to fill those positions that are integral to the efforts and the key front line.”

Senator Patty Murray, D-Wash., followed up and asked, “So, you let people go, and you’re looking for new people to fill the positions that they had experienced in?”

“We’re having those discussions right now,” Rollins said. “We are working with all of you around the country, in your states. We believe our firefighters are operationally ready for wildfire season. Our FSA offices, we are making things more efficient, but bringing on new people that could potentially be a game changer in those offices.”

The workforce reduction is part of the federal government’s current Deferred Resignation Program (DRP), which is the voluntary program that allows eligible federal employees to resign in advance while continuing to receive pay and benefits until Sept. 30.

Rollins then clarified and explained the 15,000 USDA employees who accepted the buyouts, weren’t employees who were fired, they were resignations.

“None of those people were fired,” she added. “So, if they want to come back, and if they were in a key position, then we would love to have that conversation.”

Rollins said the latest round of DRPs, which happened in April, USDA didn’t accept some of the resignations, specifically if those employees were in what Rollins called “key positions,” which includes APHIS, FSA, etc.

“We are very intentionally approaching this,” she said. “Have we done it perfectly? No. Any type of whole scale change, and big effort to basically realign an entire government agency is difficult. And we know that, and we know it hasn’t been perfect, but we’re working every day to solve for a lot of this, and I think we’re making a lot of really good progress.”

USDA Spends $400 Million a Day on Food Assistance Programs

The other hot button topic during the hearing was food assistance. The secretary pointed out USDA spends more than $400 million a day on food assistance programs and said ending COVID-era funding programs doesn’t mean defunding food assistance.

You can listen to her pointed comments in the video below.

USDA alone spends $400+ MILLION each day on food assistance programs.

Ending COVID-era funding programs doesn’t defund food assistance. It ensures we’re good stewards of taxpayer dollars. pic.twitter.com/3lT7Fu6or9
— Secretary Brooke Rollins (@SecRollins) May 6, 2025

Ferrie: Dry, Dusty Harvest Calls For A Fire Contingency Plan

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 20:48:03 GMT

Soybean crops are fast disappearing across Illinois, as combines roll through fields finishing up the 2024 harvest, says Ken Ferrie, Farm Journal Field Agronomist.

One concern he has, however, is the amount of heavy dust coming out of equipment going across dry fields.

“I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen a year with this much dust on the beans; the horizon looks like a bunch of brush fires with the amount of dust coming out of these combines,” he said on Friday during his weekly Boots In The Field podcast.

“As we finish up the beans and move to corn, everyone will need to have a contingency plan for field fires if it doesn’t rain soon,” he advises. “Combine downwind, if possible, on windy days so if we have a combine fire it burns away from the crop.”

Dry Conditions Are Extensive

While intense, heavy rains from hurricanes have lashed parts of the Southeast, the past week was extremely dry over a large majority of the contiguous 48 states, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor released on Thursday.

“Between 0.5” and 1.5” of rain fell on a small swath extending from west-central Illinois through southeastern Iowa last week,” the Monitor reports. “The rest of the Midwest region reported very light amounts at best, and most locations experienced a dry week with no measurable rain.”

The abnormally dry conditions can enhance the potential for combine and field fires this fall, reports Iowa State University Field Agronomist Joshua Michel. Low relative humidity levels and high winds can further increase the risk of fires.

According to the state’s Department of Natural Resources, Iowa is seeing dry conditions for this fall with relative humidity dropping down to dangerous levels for wildfires and ignition sources in the fields. Higher afternoon temperatures are also expected with the National Weather Service issuing both Red Flag Warnings and Fire Weather Watches across Iowa.

“All it takes to start a fire is a single high-temperature source in the engine area or an overheated bearing to ignite some dry plant material,” Michel reports in an online article.

Practical Steps To Prevent Fire

Keeping combine engine compartments free of debris, checking air filters, coolant and oil levels daily can help minimize the potential for a machinery fire. Removing plant materials wrapped on or near any bearings, belts, chains, or other moving parts can also help.

Michel offers additional recommendations here: Fire Prevention Tips During Harvest

Ferrie advises farmers to put together a contingency plan to prevent fires from occurring as well as a plan for steps to take if one does start.

“Having a tillage tool hooked up and ready to go is one idea, plus your crew needs to know what to do in case a fire happens,” he says.

Get Ferrie’s updates on harvest and agronomic issues he’s following in the podcast, here: Boots In The Field Report October 11, 2024

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The Canadian Wildfires Never Fully Died Down In 2023, And That's Why They're Back With A Vengeance Now

Wed, 22 May 2024 18:07:03 GMT

The wrath of wildfires is something Canada knows all too well. After a historic season, 2024 is off to an active start with some fire forecasters saying this year’s wildfire threat could rival 2023.

“2023 in Canada was a historic wildfire season by many means. We absolutely shattered all records. Millions upon millions of acres of forests were burnt,” says Matt MacDonald, the lead fire weather forecaster for the B.C. Wildfire Service.

MacDonald says those blazes burned across the country–from coast to coast, top to bottom.

“All 13 provinces and territories has significant wildfire on the landscape. And particularly here in western Canada and British Columbia, 1.8 million acres were burned last season,” says MacDonald. “So, it was a tremendous ground-shattering year. And we’re hoping we don’t see that again this year.”

Dormant Threat Under The Snow

He’s hopeful 2024 doesn’t see a repeat, however this year’s wildfire season is already off to a fierce and early start much of that due to fires leftover from 2023.

“We’re already off to a busier start than we were last year, primarily due to these holdover fires. It’s one thing to have the drought to have the dry fuels. But at least last year, we were waiting for that ignition, whereas this year, the ignition is already there. Those fires actually never went away. They just kind of went dormant under the snow.

MacDonald says the wildfire season in 2023 lasted unusually long, not dying down until early November.

“And then finally, we put snow on the landscape and there’s nothing like snow to calm a fire. But what ends up happening is these fires continue to smolder, believe it or not below the snow,” says MacDonald. “So, while it may appear white on the landscape, these fires continue to burn at root bulbs into what we call the duff layer, which is the top foot or so of soil.

He says scientists were already detecting heat signals even before the snow melted.

“And sure enough, the snow melted, we put a little bit of wind on these holdover fires, and just earlier this week we had a cold front push through the northern part of the province. The explosive growth at which these fires came back to life was truly incredible,” says MacDonald.

What’s happened in just a week’s time is astonishing. Tens of thousands of acres are scorched from a fire in British Columbia. The province of Manitoba is fighting a massive blaze that had burned more than 86,000 thousand acres late last week.

While part of the problem is fires left over from 2023, the bigger issue is a multi-year drought continuing to fuel the blazes.

“The drought is very real. It’s very, very deep. And it’s very persistent,” MacDonald explains. “So, once we get fire on the landscape, it really digs in becomes difficult to control and to respond to. And then we just end up with these massive configurations, you know, fires that grow into 10s of 1000s, and even hundreds of 1000s of acres per fire.”

MacDonald says in British Columbia, 122 wildfires are on the landscape today, 8% of which are out of control as forecasters brace for more blazes this year.

“June is really that critical month for us will really determine, you know, the severity of our fire season. But again, this this drought is just so deep and persistent that it’s hard to think you know, a few weeks, even a month worth of rain is going to wash away all our problems. I think we’re in for another act of fire season here in 2024,” he adds.

The wildfires are already causing air quality concerns in the Plains and Midwest. The fires triggered air quality alerts across the U.S. starting last week.

The Smoke Effect on Crop Yields

The wildfire smoke was a constant issue most of the summer last year; however, there was a bright spot.

“Between corn and soybeans, corn is a little more susceptible to reductions in light. The wildfire smoke came through in June when we were experiencing drought-like conditions, and a lot of crops were experiencing stress at that point,” explains Dan Quinn, Purdue University extension corn specialist. “Those reductions in light reduced leaf surface temperatures and transpiration off those plants, which alleviated some of that stress.”

A Purdue report showed despite the temporary benefit in light reduction for crops, wildfire smoke still caused other harmful effects on crops and the environment. Since wildfires emit various air pollutants to form ozone when reacting with sunlight, Quinn said the ozone can cause harm to both corn and soybeans by entering the plant through the stomata, which burns plant tissue during respiration.

Summer Precipitation and Temperature Outlook

Is the U.S. in for another dry and hot summer in 2024? The National Weather Service (NWS) Climate Prediction Center (CPC) just released its summer forecast, which is taking into account the transition from El Niño to La Niña. The CPC thinks El Niño will transition to the neutral state of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) next month. The summer outlook shows areas of the Plains and Western U.S. could see drought and dry conditions this summer, while much of the U.S. is expected to be warmer than normal.

Smoky Skies and Reduced Air Quality Return to the Midwest and Mid-South

Wed, 28 Jun 2023 19:11:18 GMT

Wildfire smoke from Canada returned to the upper Midwest and extended to the Mid-South and Mid-Atlantic this week, resulting in poor air quality in some regions along with reduced visibility.

The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a report on Wednesday, saying “wildfire smoke from Canada will reduce air quality over parts of the Upper/Middle Mississippi Valley, Great Lakes, Western Ohio Valley, Central Appalachians, and Mid-Atlantic, prompting Air Quality Warnings over the area.”

Unhealthy levels of pollutants from the smoke spread across states in those regions including most of Michigan and Wisconsin and parts of Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio, according to tracker AirNow.gov.

The NWS is encouraging anyone with underlying lung conditions or asthma – especially children and the elderly – to limit their time outdoors in those regions affected by wildfire smoke.

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) advises monitoring pets and farm animals that could also be affected by the smoke.

“If you can see or feel the effects of smoke yourself, you also should take precautions to keep your animals – both pets and livestock – safe,” the AVMA encourages.

The wildfires range from British Columbia to Newfoundland and Labrador, and 239 were categorized by the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) on Tuesday as being “out of control.”

Reuters reports that Canada is wrestling with its worst-ever start to the wildfire season, which has already burned 6.5 million hectares (16 million acres), an area a little bigger than West Virginia.

Little Concern For Crops, So Far

USDA Meteorologist Brad Rippey told Farm Journal editors last week that he doesn’t believe smoke from the fires – some of which have been burning several weeks now – has had any direct impact on row crops so far.

His greater concern is the indirect impact the smoke could have on crops, especially corn. Specifically, a concentration of smoke over a period of several weeks could contribute to lower temperatures and fewer growing degree units (GDUs) because of reduced solar radiation, Rippey explains.

Sunlight is critical for corn to maximize photosynthesis and crop yield, adds Mark Jeschke, Pioneer agronomy manager, in his in-depth online article, Is Smoke from Wildfires Affecting Crop Yields?

“Among the many potential effects on crop growth (from smoke coverage) are three primary factors with the capability to directly impact photosynthesis: reduced sunlight intensity, increased sunlight diffusion, and increased ozone (O3) levels,” Jeschke writes.

“Corn, in particular, is susceptible to reduced yields and reduced standability if the plants need to remobilize carbohydrates from the stalk to make up for a deficit in photosynthesis,” he adds. “This weakens the stalks and opens the door for stalk rot pathogens.”

From the Flames: A Lesson in Thanksgiving from a Man Who Survived a Raging Oklahoma Wildfire

Wed, 23 Nov 2022 21:20:43 GMT

Driving back to rural Dewey County, in western Oklahoma, floods Terry Burleson with memories and images from 3.5 years ago.

“How I escaped this wilderness on fire was by the grace of God,” Terry says.

Among the web of canyons and charred cedars, Terry survived. A miracle, left behind after nearly 300,000 acres burned in April of 2018. It started as a quick trip in the side-by-side to scout locations for a turkey hunt the following morning. Terry and two family members were rolling through the pasture when they saw the smoke.

“It seemed to be a long way off and we weren’t taking on any smoke,” he says. “So, it just felt like it was 10, 15 or 20 miles away.”

But in minutes, the fire was on top of them. It was being pushed by 50 mile per hour winds and now a wall of flames was racing across the landscape. Their road back was blocked and so they ran.

“From that point is where we, for whatever reason, decided to split up,” remembers Terry. “I don’t know why even to this day.”

Terry, not expecting to ever get out, was in loafers as he tried to sprint through the canyons. Somewhere during his sprint, Terry lost his phone. The other two men, via fence lines and dirt roads, found a way to safety. Terry ran for his life, up hillsides and down canyons. He ran until he couldn’t,

“My mind was telling me the fire was going to jump and at any moment I was going to be sandwiched,” Terry says. “I kind of gave up and I laid down to die.”

As he listened to the fire howling around him, he found peace.

“I talked to my wife once, right when we got out of the Ranger,” remembers Terry. “I talked to her and told her we were out on foot; we were in it, and it doesn’t look good.”

He lay at the bottom of the canyon, as cedars exploded around him.

“I don’t know, I wasn’t scared and maybe that’s a God thing, too,” Terry says.

As the heat rolled over him, the burning drove Terry to his feet. He was gasping through the smoke as he climbed out of the canyon and eventually broke the tree line onto flat ground. A small road created the perfect fire line.

“The way that road angles and the way the wind was blowing the same direction, that’s the only thing that allowed that fire to backburn past me,” Terry says.

It wasn’t long before the flames came roaring back to life. This time it was on his side of the road.

“That grass was about waist high,” Terry says. “So, you can imagine the flames were probably 10 feet and created just a big wall.”

Terry worked his way from one safe spot to another, laying as flat to the ground as could, beneath the smoke. Eventually, he was forced back across the road and into the ashes. He was safe as the fire once again raged past him.

Several hours went by and as night began to settle in Terry got to his feet, disoriented, hurting and lost. By chance or by providence he turned left down that road.

“Something told me to go left,” Terry says. “I was very fortunate because when I turn the corner, I saw a water trough and a windmill.”

Water! Terry wet his face, but he didn’t drink. He says given his situation he was worried it might make him sick. Then he laid down, out of the smoke on the cool concrete ring. That’s where he stayed until daylight.

Meanwhile, his family feared the worst. They were kept away from the area by authorities and the raging fire.

“Knowing what the wind was doing, seeing the fire and watching it on the news we were just holding out for hope, begging God that he survives and praying all through the night,” recalls Mark Price, a family member. “You can’t sleep, and everyone was worried, nervous, scared and frustrated.”

When daylight broke, Price rallied the others from the family.

“I said it’s time to go,” said Price. “We’ve got to go find him.”

That morning, a few hundred yards at a time, Terry followed the trail across the pasture to a dirt road and then started toward the western Oklahoma town of Camargo.

“When I got across this cattle guard that’s when I saw a pickup coming,” Terry says.

He sank to the ground, and the men offered him water. Five minutes later his family arrived.

“When we pulled up to that cattle guard, I saw him sitting in the road and I threw it in park, jumped out, jumped up in the air and screamed, ‘He’s alive, he’s alive, thank God he’s alive,’” Price says. “Then I thought, I’ve got to call his wife. So I grabbed the phone and I called her. I said, we found him. He’s alive. Then I hung up.”

Price laughs he probably didn’t share enough information, which worried family at the time.

“I got in trouble for that, and they said, you know, you didn’t really give us a lot of information,” Price says.

Local ambulance director Katrina Bryant was the first to arrive.

“Truthfully, [Terry] was in good shape,” Bryant remembers. “I was expecting to be doing a body recovery, and the way that fire was burning, we probably wouldn’t have found a body. We probably would have found ashes.”

She says the entire emergency team knew he was missing and seeing him alive lifted spirits.

“When they found him, the talk on the radio chatter was just renewed life,” Bryant says.

Terry spent 21 days in the hospital, suffering third-degree burns on his arms and parts of his torso. His head and face had first-degree burns.

Exactly how and why he survived is a question Terry has grown to live with.

“You’ll hear God’s in control and so either he is, or he isn’t. It’s one of the two. It can’t be both,” Terry says.

“I know if the same thing happened to me, he wouldn’t stop until he found me. And you know, that’s just it’s a story of brotherhood, a story of friendship,” said Price.

“I try not to get emotional about it,” Terry says, surveying the place once more. “To come back and see it is all still a little bit surreal.”

From fire and ashes to walking among the living, Terry counts it a miracle. He remains thankful for every step along the way.

Ranchers Now Faced With Difficult Decisions As Drought and Wildfires Wage War on the Plains

Mon, 18 Apr 2022 18:50:11 GMT

High winds and eerily dry conditions across Kansas and the Southern Plains have created what’s been a battleground for continuous wildfires this year. The drought-plagued area was already showing severe signs of what little to no rain-fed water will do, but fires are also robbing ranchers of vital grass.

Cooper and Chelsea Adams are the fifth generation of the Adams family to run cattle in the southwest corner of Kansas. What is typically a lush landscape for cattle ready to graze is now a backdrop covered in dirt and ashes.

“That fire was roaring so fast, 60- to 70-mile an hour gusts that day they said, it had already covered one entire pasture by the time I get down there,” says Cooper Adams.

The 70 MPH winds hit his area of Kansas on April 6. With the winds and dry conditions, the fire risk was high, but when Adams found out the fire was on their property, his first thought was saving whatever cattle he could.

“We went to the tail end of it and fortunately were able to get two sets of cows moved across the highway,” he says. “They were in an area that had not been burned, but I wasn’t going to wait and see if that wind was going to change, so we got them moved and then went to looking for other cows. You drive over a hill, and you just never know exactly what you’re going to see.”

Somehow, the majority of his herd was able to survive the wildfires, with some of the animals finding cover by a waterhole on the river. But the ranch didn’t escape it all, Adams lost some newborn calves and a large amount of grass.

“I lost five, maybe six baby calves is best I can tell for now, and about 15 miles of fence, and then about 5,000 acres of grass,” he says.

The fire was originally believed to be started by arson, but the Kansas State Patrol took the suspect into custody and discovered the fires were actually started in an unusual way. The individual’s truck was malfunctioning and kept backfiring. That caused a spark that then took off and turned into a destructive fire within minutes -- a situation that demonstrated just how dire the drought is in that part of Kansas.

And as the Adams worked to assess the losses caused by the fires on their ranch, just five days later, another fire started on their place.

“It was right over there in the middle of what burned last week. Fortunately, it was surrounded with farm ground, and what did border us was some hay that caught fire just 100 yards from our fence in some country that already been burned, but it sure enough makes you panic,” Adams says.

Trapped by Raging Wildfires in December, Kansas Ranchers Share Staggering Story of Survival

While thankful the majority of their herd survived both fires, the fact that the two fires finished off the already drought-stricken grazing ground is now weighing on their minds.

“We stock conservatively so I felt OK, but losing 5,000 acres of grass.... I’ve already bought some hay and am trying to find ways that I can supplement these cattle, but if we don’t have some rain in the forecasts, I’m going to be faced with having to sell some cows,” he says.

Don't know that I've ever seen it put this way before. NWS has a sense of humor or is very cruel. You be the judge. pic.twitter.com/YrplfF2ZKe
— Wes Beal (@txcat85) April 18, 2022

The talk of liquidation is a tough decision and one ranchers across the West are plagued with this year. According to Drovers, liquidation is already starting with the industry on track to reduce the nation’s cowherd to close to 2014 levels, which was the smallest herd since 1952.

With nearly 80 percent of the nation’s cattle herd seeing some level of drought, it’s liquidation that’s expected to continue if rains don’t drench the Plains in the coming weeks.

“As we get through May and into June and July, we will see a lot of ranchers forced to make some very, very painful decisions as a result of the situation we’re in,” says Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University livestock specialist.

From wildfires to lack of feed, Peel says widespread drought is the culprit for what he sees as accelerated herd liquidation.

“A spring drought is absolutely a worst-case scenario, because we come out of winter, we’ve used up most if not all of our hay, we don’t get any spring growth, we go immediately into severe decision-making,” explains Peel. “It’s not like a drought we sort of see building over a summer, and we can kind of plan and work our way through it. This one’s just here all of a sudden.”

Drovers Cover Story - Counting Cows: Drought, Costs Will Drive Further Reductions

Peel says the situation is severe enough that moisture is an immediate need. Peel thinks if rain doesn’t come to fruition within the next two to three weeks, cattle producers could experience a repeat of 2011.

“There are a couple of similarities and a couple of differences to that year,” says Peel. “The drought conditions right now in terms of time of year, and the potential impacts, are similar to 2011. The difference is that one was very severe but very localized in the Southern Plains. It was a big area, but still the Southern Plains. This year, we have much more widespread drought conditions.”

The scenario is setting up a last-resort situation, with cattle producers faced with making difficult decisions over the next eight to 10 weeks.

“Looking at a Q1 of next year and Q2 of next year, those prices are not encouraging any production expansion at all,” says John Payne, with Stone X Group, as well as publisher of “This Week in Grain.” “In fact, you might see cowboys go out of business.”

Feed costs are high, and while cattle prices have improved, prices on the CME haven’t risen at the same rate as grains or other livestock markets.

John Nalivka of Sterling Marketing says beef cow slaughter is racing higher, with year-to-date slaughter for the week ending March 26, 2022, up 16 percent compared to a year ago, which marks the highest in nearly 36 years.

Even without the drought last year, Kansas State University economist Glynn Tonsor tells Drovers that beef producers would likely have reduced their herds some this year.

“I think we would have shrunk the herd a little even without the drought magnifier, simply because of the price signals ranchers were seeing,” Tonsor says.

Nebraska Cattle Producers Create Convoy of Relief as Kansas Rancher Says Wildfire Recovery Will Take Years

Thu, 23 Dec 2021 19:26:22 GMT

On December 15, 2021, Western Kansas ranchers faced the extreme . With winds clocking in north of 100 miles per hour , warnings of wildfires came fast.

“It unfolded pretty fast,” says Clinton Laflin, a rancher and Kansas State livestock extension agent, Russell County, kansas “I was home for about five minutes. And then the skies started getting really dark. It was extremely smoky. My landlord, Ken Stielo [Bar S Ranch], came over and said, ‘We need to get out of here right now. ‘”

But with livestock in danger, Laflin returned to the ranch with the owners of Bar S Ranch.

“We came back out and got those cows moved, but right after that, that wind speed changed direction on us and our fire started coming straight at us. And I was very nervous that we were going to get pinned in. And so we booked it in my truck,” he says.

At that point, Laflin had only one of two working trucks on the ranch, as the winds and fires had flipped over the others.

“With the 105 mile an hour winds that we had and fires were really raging everywhere, and so that’s pretty scary,” he remembers.

But was even scarier was with raging winds that changed directions, how those caught in the fires had to escape.

“I had to jump down an electric line pole and a couple of live wires to get out,” he says.

Laflin says the high winds forced over power lines, and with Western Kansas already dry, it sparked the wildfires in minutes.

“We haven’t had any measurable rainfall for over 60 days,” he says. “And so the dry conditions of our forage and high winds plus electricity have a pretty good mix for fire.”

Still cautious of flareups the days after, Lalin says area ranchers are assessing the damage.

“We’ve had more than 40,000 acres of pasture burned up and multiple homes. And, and farmsteads during that time as well,” he says.

And he says the fires were costly as he estimates losses will be well into the millions.

“It’s a staggering thing that we’re going to have to take some time to kind of recover from,” says Laflin.

From fencing to hay supplies, even homes, barns and livestock, he says the Russell and Paradise, Kansas areas are in ashes.

“We’re looking at losses in registered cattle,” says Laflin. “They have a lot of value, genetically to myself and my landlords, and just cattle in general. For many of our other neighbors and producers, they are looking at losses in fencing, we’re looking at losses in, in pasture ground and being able to convert that from a grass to a protein source that we can use.”

At this point, he says ranchers in the area are working to find supplies… and in desperate need of rain.

“We’ve lost we’ve lost lives of cattle and other livestock, we’ve lost our homes, we’ve lost barns, we’ve lost grass, we’ve lost vehicles. And we’ve and we’ve lost, we’ve lost our livelihoods in a lot of ways. And so it’s going to take years to recover that,” he says.

As Western Kansas ranchers face a recovery that could take years.

Neighboring Ranchers Send Help

As ranchers work to rebuild, they face a total loss in many cases. But the agriculture community is already showing what makes rural America so great, as help has been rushing in. Matt McCune shared a video that shows a convoy of hay flooding into Kansas, as Nebraska ranchers stepped into help.

Shout out to Nebraska! HUGE convoy of hay just came through! Thank you guys! #fourcountyfire #agtwitter https://t.co/VB8t7El2Q8
— Matt McCune (@ksufearless) December 22, 2021

The following memo was sent to Nebraska Cattlemen earlier this week, as more coordinated efforts are now coming together to provide assistance to an area in need.

Last week, wildfires in several Kansas counties prompted our neighbors in Kansas to begin coordinating donations of feed, fencing supplies, and cash for affected ranchers. The bulk of the acres burned are within the counties of Russell, Osborne, Rooks, and Ellis. Ranchers in the hardest hit areas lost fence, livestock, and feed resources. Ranch homes and outbuildings also were among the losses.

Heartland Regional Stockyards at Plainville, KS serves as a collection and distribution point for hay and supplies. Contact the auction market at (785) 688-4080, Landon Schneider at (785) 259-3234 or Brandon Hamel at (785) 434-6280. Russell Livestock also is taking hay donations. Stock water tanks are a need, as well. An additional drop-off point is the Russell County Fairgrounds. Call extension agent Marcia Geir at (785) 483-3157 with questions.

A supply donation site for those impacted by fire in southwestern Lane County and surrounding counties has been set up at 3 E Rd 120, Dighton, KS. To coordinate a drop-off, call Erik Steffens at (620) 397-1687.

Cash donations can be made through the Kansas Livestock Foundation (KLF), KLA’s charitable arm, by clicking here or sending a check, with “wildfire relief” written in the memo line, to:

6031 S.W. 37th

Topeka, KS 66614.

Here’s How You Can Help

As the Kanas Livestock Association continues to work to deploy resources, as LMA says there are four collection and distribution points for supply donations of hay, stockwater tanks, fencing supplies and more. Those designated collection points include:

Rooks County
Heartland Regional Stockyards
907 NW 3rd St, Plainville, KS
785-688-4080

Russell County
Russell Livestock
720 S. Fossil, Russell, KS
785-483-1455

Russell County Fairgrounds
702 Fairway Dr. Russell
Marcia Geir: 785-483-3157

Lane County
3 E Rd 120, Dighton, KS
Erik Steffens: 620-397-1687

One Year After Wildfires Decimated California Rancher's Herd and Legacy, Devastation Fuels Change

Fri, 13 Aug 2021 20:41:58 GMT

Surrounded by cattle and silence, Dave Daley’s serene California setting is scattered with scars.

“It’s really hard for me to go back and see it, because there’s so much history,” says Daley.

As the California cattle rancher strolls this land in the Golden State, some of it has been ranched by his family for six generations. The land is his most precious resource, as in the summer, his cattle graze the area mountain range, living off the wild vegetation.

“I consider myself an environmentalist,” he says. “It doesn’t have to be an either or. I love the wild. I miss it. I go up there and it’s devastating.”

The devastation of which he’s reminded daily with barren land, charred trees and even surviving cattle bearing scars – devastation painted for miles in Butte County, California. What started as a small fire on August 17, 2020, reached the Plumas National Forest, where Daley’s 400 head of cattle were grazing, on September 8th. And the majority of those cattle never made it out.

“The scope of the August Complex in the Bear Fire as it began to explode, it destroyed our cow herd,” he says. “They died tragic deaths. Some on fire, running away, and dying, collapsing wherever. And they were usually around water.”

18 to 20 hours a day, Daley and others tried to navigate the rugged terrain to find any survivors they could, much of the landscape unrecognizable, relying on a deep knowledge of the mountains to search.

“It also destroyed our legacy,” he says. “We’ve been taking cattle to the mountains of the Sierra Nevada since the 1880s, before there was even a National Forest Service. So, it’s both public and private land belongs to the forest service, half of it the other half to see our pacific. And it was big timber, a beautiful ecosystem and it’s gone.”

Nearly a year later, the Dixie Fire currently burning in California forced evacuations in Daley’s home county just this week. Too close to home for a rancher who is still dealing with the aftermath of tragedy last year.

Daley still can’t hide his emotions, as he says the days the fire raced across nearby forests were bottled up in sadness, grief and then anger.

“There are times I feel worse for the cattle that we lost. And clearly, it’s a huge economic impact, right, that’s devastating,” says Daley.

Yet other times, it’s thinking about the future that ignites frustration and grief.

“My granddaughter will never see that forest again the way it was. Neither will anyone else, at least not in my lifetime. I’ve talked with people all over the country, they’ve said, ‘well, it will look good the next year, the grasses come back.’ Until, you’ve seen it, they don’t get the scope. They don’t get the disaster that occurred and how massive it is. And when you kill 150 year old trees, we aren’t going to see it ever again.”

The fire didn’t just torch daily’s livelihood. As Daley will tell you, his family has ranched this area since the 1800s, and out of all the families who ranched this land then, the Daleys are the only ones left.

“There were about 50 ranchers, and we’re the last of those 50 ranchers,” he says. “I know all their names, all their history, they’ve all disappeared. Due to regulation, economy, politics, none of them are in business up here anymore. We’ve survived that long.”

Survival is something it seems is engrained in Daley, even as he battled the sorrow of losing his herd and decades of work.

“But part of the challenge is the cattle have to be adapted to the mountain range to the climate,” he explains. “Its not like we can go buy 400 cows, which is essentially what we lost, and take them up there and turn them loose. They wouldn’t do well. They wouldn’t know where to go.”

Immediately, Daley searched for changes to raising cattle in this area, all of which came at a cost.

“We’re going to deal with it,’ says Daley. “But we’ve had to make some really dramatic adjustments not having a place to take those cows this summer. We’ve made changes. We’re adapting, we’re actually feeding some cows in the summer, which I’ve never done in my 63 years of existence. So, that’s expensive. But you don’t want to lose your genetic base. You just kind of keep going.”

Some changes Daley made, like sourcing feed this summer, were temporary, whereas others may be permanent. Grazing 400 cows on what was once luscious land is something Daley doesn’t know if they’ll ever be able to do again. And the scars of this one fire Daley fears will last for generations.

“I don’t think people recognize the intensity of the fire. I’ve been up there. And it’s, it’s not there,” he says. “It’s a different ecosystem. It’s big conifers, fur and pine and big, big trees. It’s not like I’m waiting for grass to grow, there was never that much grass to start with.”

He says the United States Forest Service told him he could take cattle up to the mountains to graze this year if they chose to do so.

“And we wanted to,” he says. “My mom’s 90, I wanted to take cows up for her. There was nothing to go to.”

With fewer cows to feed, his sorrow turned into a passion.

“I’ve made a commitment that it’s what iI need to do. And frankly, I don’t have as many cows take care of right now. So, I’m doing it. I’m putting everything I can into it,” says Daley.

That passion is now Daley’s fight to save what’s left, and using his voice to create change.

“I’ve basically made a commitment that this is really important to me right now. So, I’m working on it at every level I can, through Cal Fire, with Governor Newsom, his staff came to visit the ranch and look at the fire. I’m working with our California Cattle Council, with California Cattlemen’s Association.”

From various leadership roles, to testifying on Capitol Hill, Daily is making known the impact of the North Complex West Zone fire that ravaged millions of acres.

“I’m hopeful that people are starting to pay attention. Unfortunately, it takes tragedy for people pay attention,” says Daley. “I don’t think this is about my cows being killed. Although some people are sympathetic, but when starting to destroy their homes, and they can’t get insurance, and it’s starting to burn towns like Paradise and the Camp fire or Berry Creek in this fire, then they start paying attention.”

Daily wants that attention to turn to a solution, as pinpointing the cause creates a bigger divide. The extreme politics – on both sides- are what he says are the problem, not the solution.

“One of my frustrations is people who want to spend time arguing about what caused it,” he says. They’ll say it’s climate change. Let’s fix it. We didn’t rake the floor enough. Let’s fix it. I’m really tired of people who really aren’t close enough to understand what truly happens. The fires destroyed millions of acres, and you argue about whether it’s climate change or not. Again, it’s one of those moot points since it’s happening. But if you don’t think burning 4 million and acres in California last year is going to impact the climate, you aren’t paying attention.”

With three kids involved in the ranch in various ways today, Daley’s fight for change is selfless.

“Everybody thinks about the glamour piece, that I’m on horseback gathering cows,” he says. “They forget fixing fence, hauling hay, or whatever it happens to be. And so you have to really be born into it and care for it. I know all three of my kids do. They’re there. They’ve got it. It’s deep in their soul. You can feel it when you talk to them.”

Adaptable and resilient. Those are traits needed, and traits that allow area ranchers like Daley to survive in the area, even as he searches for the path to rebuild and keep the Daley family ranching legacy intact.

“I don’t know exactly what that path will be, but I’m not quitting. Neither are my kids. We’re just going to keep going.

As California Wildfires Rage, State Leaders, Students and Veterinarians Launch Effort to Help Rescue Livestock

Thu, 12 Aug 2021 14:09:48 GMT

Western wildfires continue to rage in the West , as California’s biggest wildfire is leading to widespread evacuations of livestock. And now there are efforts underway to care for animals left behind.

The Dixie Fire is the second largest in California’s history. It has destroyed thousands of acres of rangeland, including for migratory cattle.

Leaders from the University of California-Davis, veterinarians, and California legislators have launched a new program. It’s called the “California Veterinary Emergency Team.” Their job is to help rescue livestock and domestic animals during disasters.

Students from U.C. Davis are helping out at other fires. Also right now, Farm Bureau organizations in Butte, Sierra and Plumas counties in California are partnering to help feed and maintain livestock. Similar efforts are underway in Nevada County’s River Fire.

Heat and Drought Fuels Western Wildfires as More Historic Heat Forecast for Next Week

Wed, 28 Jul 2021 17:33:24 GMT

Heat and dry conditions aren’t helping the wildfire situation in the West. Right now, 67 large fires are burning across the U.S., scorching nearly 918,000 acres in 12 states.

Taking priority, the Snake River Complex wildfire near Spokane, Washington. It actually comprises three wildfires that were all started by lighting.

California has already seen more than three times as much land burned this year than the same period last year.
The Beckwourth Complex fire is the largest burning in the state. Firefighters describing the fire situation as the most extreme.

“I’m more worried about this wind,” Bob Schoenstein, a resident of Doyle, Calif. “That fire can be on the other side of that mountain and it could embers down in the middle of this town and burn this town to the ground.”

This is a time lapse video of another wildfire.This one along the Oregon and California border. The Bootleg Wildfire has already scorched more than 200,000 acres.

Areas of smoke look to linger across the eastern Dakota's through tonight. Smoke may return from both Canadian wildfires and fires across the western U.S. on Tuesday. Those sensitive to smoke may want to be mindful of potential increases in smoke activity this week. #ndwx pic.twitter.com/8XiuYGSKH2
— NWS Bismarck (@NWSBismarck) July 12, 2021

As the fires and smoke continue to spread, the heat is making matters worse, with more historic heat forecast next week. Heat advisories and excessive-heat warnings continued to cover the weather map Tuesday from interior California to the Canadian border in eastern Washington state.The wildfire worries are also creating concerns in Canada . Farmers there are battling drought, as well, with farmers’ production outlooks waning.

Wildfires a Concern as the West Battles High Heat

Tue, 13 Jul 2021 20:36:11 GMT

High heat in the West is raising concerns about more wildfires this season. The number of active wildfires right now is approaching 50, and drought conditions aren’t helping matters.

President Biden met with western state governors virtually yesterday to discuss preparations. Among the plans: temporarily raising federal firefighter pay to ensure they are not making less than $15 an hour.

Rain In Forecast For Texas, Oklahoma But Will Wheat Improve?

Tue, 17 Nov 2020 03:30:58 GMT

The drought stricken areas of western Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle could see some much-needed rain this week, but conditions are still dire.

According to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor , the entire Oklahoma Panhandle is in D4, or exceptional drought, and The Texas Panhandle is experiencing D3, extreme drought, and D4 conditions.

The drought is still having an impact on winter wheat conditions. In the latest wheat condition report from USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), 31 percent of the nationwide winter wheat crop is rated good to excellent, a 1 percent improvement from last week.

13 percent is good to excellent in Texas, 8 percent is rated good to excellent in Oklahoma, and 12 percent is rated good to excellent in Kansas.

With the dry conditions and cold weather, some analysts think any improvement to the winter wheat crop will be difficult.

“The drought has still taken away a lot of the yield potential, and that’s going to hurt the crop’s ability to come back from this spring freeze damage,” said Arlan Suderman , chief commodities economist for INTL FCStone .

According to Suderman, the rains from the weekend are likely to improve the millability of the crop in some regions compared to yields.

“The drought has still taken away a lot of the yield potential, and that’s going to hurt the crops ability to come back from this spring freeze damage,” said Suderman.

Millions of Wheat Bushels Torched by Suspected Arson in Wildfire

Sun, 15 Nov 2020 18:58:23 GMT

Farmers in northern Oregon were looking forward to harvest this year. After a dry spring and fading hopes of an above-average crop, their soft, white wheat fields started to show promise this summer. As harvest kicked off, and yields began to roll in, and it was a bountiful wheat crop that came as a surprise to farmers in Wasco County, Ore.

“It was such a cool spring that it turned out better than we thought, so we were happy,” said Kevin Duling, owner of KD Investment Services who resides in Wasco County. “We were thinking it was going to be average or above for most of this area. Up north where this fire was, it’s 70 to 80 bushel country, and they were in the 70 to 95 bushels per acre range. So, very high yields for the amount of rain we got”

The Substation Fire in Oregon quickly turned those hopes into fear, as the flames threatened wheat, livestock and homes in its way. It’s a fire that’s already destroyed homes and burned 80 square miles of wheat. Duling said the fire was so fast and furious that farmers who battled the flames couldn’t get ahead of it, mainly trying to play catch-up and save the structures and animals they could. They prioritized lives over their own crops as walls of fire up to 30 feet raged across Oregon’s farm country.

“Everybody had just started wheat harvest, so nobody had a decent amount cut yet,” said Duling. He helped other farmers battle the flames this week. “We lost – at least in this county alone- well over a million bushels. That’s a very uneducated guess, because my clients alone are close to 700,000, so it could be more like 2 million – I just don’t know”

Duling said he worked on a hotshot fire crew in college battling fires, and this wildfire was the worst he’d ever seen.

“This one was bad because it happened at 2 p.m. on a 100 degree day with 30 mph winds, and it was an arson fire,” said Duling. “They put it right in the spot where it would just cut the Wheat Belt – it was just horrible. This one had such severe wind speeds and low-humidity and no recovery of humidity at night, and so it was just a worst-case scenario.”

Video starts where origin of fire was. Ends where fire is. Jumped large river and now in next county over. May take a 200' wide line to stop it. Nothing but wheat, canyons, and a few houses in the path pic.twitter.com/EcCVmgnSFK
— Kevin Duling (@kdinvestors) July 18, 2018

It’s a remote area and as the fire grew quickly, it was farmers and ranchers who battled the flames. Farmers used water tanks and discs to try to control the flames, but the fire proved to be too furious, jumping the river and scorching land in the next county.

“Probably 90 percent were farmers and neighbors, everybody had their disc out trying to disc out in front of it,” said Duling. “The trouble is when these fires start, everybody drops everything and we run to where the smoke is, but this one moved so fast that everyone just had to play catch-up from then on. You’d get ahead, and then it got so big that everyone was trying to scramble to their homes to see if they even had a home.”

“The fire couldn’t be managed without the firefighters, farmers and ranchers working together,” said Bailey Jenks, Willamette Valley, Ore. “The Substation Fire in Oregon wiping out over 50,000 acres of ripe wheat and grassland. It’s mostly put out as of today, but we’re watching spots that could take off in the wind shifts.”

It’s the wind shifts that made the fire this past week unmanageable and causing fatalities. John Ruby, 64, died trying to save his neighbor’s property. Neighbors said Ruby had a passion for growing wheat and a passion for helping people.

As farmers and ranchers assess what’s left, and sift through all the damage that happened before their eyes, it’s a reality that’s not easy to grasp. The wheat crop had the potential to be good, but is now left in ashes, as many didn’t insure to the level they were seeing this year.

“The price prospects for soft white wheat are extremely high with Australia struggling and not much carryout this last year, so I guarantee they didn’t insure enough for what the yield and the price are going to be,” said Duling. “I’ve heard of a guy in Sherman County who lost everything and he was harvest around 100 bushel per acre wheat,” said Duling. “That’s just phenomenal. It was probably 60 bushel ground doing 100. He didn’t insure for that.”

As Drought Spreads, Expect a Rampant Wildfire Season

If the current wildfires raging in the West are any indication of what’s to come, it could be another wild wildfire season. As the U.S. Drought Monitor shows severe drought leaving scars across the West, that dryness could spark more severe wildfires in the months ahead.

“Last year we had a big wildfire season in the northern Rockies. I suspect that may be a little further west this summer, because we’ve had our dryness cascade and points westward, which is an area of the country we don’t normally think about wildfires being a big deal,” said U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) meteorologist Brad Rippey.

Rippey said that comes on the heels of a near-record-breaking wildfire season in 2017, charring nearly 9 million acres. It was not only large, but came with a hefty price tag. The U.S. Forest Service spent $2 billion to fight the fires, setting a new record.

“A couple of areas we’re watching for potential drought development include the Pacific Northwest,” said Brad Rippey.

The U.S. Drought monitor shows dryness currently covers nearly 94 percent of Oregon and 91 percent of Washington. Washington’s drought spread 25 points in a week. It’s more severe drought currently plaguing Nevada and Colorado, where wildfires rage on.

House GOP Unveils $81Billion Disaster Relief for Hurricanes, Wildfires

Sun, 15 Nov 2020 18:25:17 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) - House Republicans on Monday unveiled an $81 billion disaster aid package to help hurricane-ravaged communities and states hit by wildfires, almost double the amount requested by President Donald Trump.

GOP leaders promised a vote this week on the measure, which would bring the total provided in response to this year’s devastating round of hurricanes to more than $130 billion - exceeding the cost to taxpayers of Hurricane Katrina.

The emergency aid would provide $26 billion for community development block grants, which would help Florida, Texas and the Caribbean rebuild, along with Western states recovering from wildfires. There’s funding for prevention of future flooding, highway repairs and help for small businesses. There’s almost $28 billion for the government’s chief disaster aid account, $4 billion of which could be used to help cash-strapped governments such as Puerto Rico’s stay afloat.

“We have a commitment to our fellow citizens that are in the midst of major rebuilding efforts,” said Appropriations Committee Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen, R-N.J., who sponsored the measure. “They deserve our continued support, and we must provide the necessary resources for them to recover from these emergencies.”

The package also would provide $2.6 billion for farm disasters. Florida lawmakers have said citrus crops in their state have been suffering.

“It’s a big win for Florida’s agriculture,” said Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Fla.

Last month, Trump requested $44 billion, his third emergency request since hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria slammed the Gulf Coast and Caribbean. The request sparked howls from lawmakers from hurricane-hit states.

“While it was not everything, it was further than the administration proposed,” Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, said Monday.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press.

Sisters Who Lost Homes, Cattle, Rebuild After Kansas Fire

Wed, 18 Nov 2020 05:21:38 GMT

The Kansas wildfires did not discriminate as it left a path of ruins in Ashland, Kansas this March. A 30,000 acre ranched owned and operated by one family, three sisters with an inseparable bond, was in its way.

AgDay national reporter Betsy Jibben shows how the sisters, Jenny Betschart, Katie Shaw and Molly Beckford of Giles Ranch, are picking themselves back up again and moving on after the flames ceased.