OLATHE, Kan. — Much of Kansas remains under a Red Flag Warning and high wind advisory Tuesday due to the threat of grass fires.
Members of the Johnson County Wildfire Task Force headed west and are in position to respond to fires, if they happen.
Three Olathe firefighters who are part of the task force are at Lake Scott State Park. The area is located in Western Kansas, near Scott City, working with the the Kansas Forest Service.
Firefighters and equipment from North Dakota and South Dakota will join the Kansas Forest Service teams Tuesday.
The deployments are made possible because Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly issued a disaster emergency due to the threat of wildfires on Friday.
The declaration allows state agencies to position themselves better and be ready to respond to fires, if needed.
The Kansas Forest Service says it is working with other agencies place firefighters on the ground and other fire equipment, suck as air tankers, on standby in case they are needed to fight any fires from above.
The National Weather Service says the dry air and high wind in the western part of the state is creating a high fire danger, but areas in the Kansas City metro are also warned to avoid any outdoor burning or fires at this time.
