RUSSELL COUNTY—The Kansas Forrest Service has revised the total wildfire acres burned across western Kansas during last week's storms, according to a social media report from the agency.
Kansas Forest Service together with the National Interagency Fire Coordination Center used a new satellite data system to map ongoing wildfire to determine approximately 163,000 acres burned.
The agency originally reported 400,000 acres had been impacted by wildfire due to the historic high winds combined with the drought or near drought conditions across Kansas.
Further analysis of satellite mapping data resulted in revised acreage for the fires that occurred December 15, and detection of fires not previously reported.
As the air cleared of heat, dust and smoke, the satellite was able to get a clearer picture of the landscape. Authorities also learned in using this new satellite technology some of the fires’ perimeters were calculated twice. The newly released map has the updated acres from the recent satellite imagery.