By TONY GUERRERO
Hays Post
The Hays Fire Department conducted a wildfire summit to prepare for future blazes by drawing lessons from the region’s past disasters.
Hays Fire Chief Ryan Hagans said the summit consisted of sharing local expertise, a field trip and simulations to address potential threats in partnership with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.
"The main goal was to help us find the tools and resources to build a partnership within the community, and help spread the word on potential hazards that a wildfire brings when it impacts urban and developed areas," Hagans said.
The summit was a two-day wildfire risk workshop on Friday and Saturday at the Hilton Garden Inn in Hays.
SimTables, or simulation tables, let participants model fire spread using real topography and wind data. The projections recreated past incidents, including the 2021 Four County Fire, and hypothetical scenarios for firefighters to study.
Firefighters shared their experiences and insights from responding to the Four County Fire, discussing factors that allowed it to spread as fast as it did, such as wind speeds.
"When this started, we had zero visibility in Hays. I was driving around when it progressed and everything browned out," one firefighter said, referring to the Four County Fire.
Firefighters estimated from the projection that fast-moving fires could sweep through Hays in roughly 10 minutes.
The summit also included an outdoor session near the Sternberg Museum to examine grasses, trees and urban-wildland risks. Hagans said the fire department gained a deeper understanding of fire behavior and plans to implement measures.
He said the department will further assess the city for wildfire threats and educate the public.
"There are several areas throughout the outer edges of town that we'd like to evaluate what fuel loads they have and what each individual neighborhood has unique to them," Hagans said. "Steps they can take to help prevent or slow down the spread of a grass fire coming and help protect their homes as well."
Hagans advises regularly clearing dead limbs, trimming trees and bushes, and mowing grass near fences as precautions.
The event also partnered with the Kansas State Forest Service, International Association of Fire Fighters, International Association of Fire Chiefs and National Volunteer Fire Council.
