Governor Laura Kelly announces the creation of the Governor’s Wildfire Task Force.

This will be a group of leaders from across the state that will create recommendations for how Kansas communities can better prevent, respond to, and recover from wildfires. Governor Kelly says they have seen too many devastating wildfires take a toll on communities in recent years. Several parts of Kansas have experienced large-scale wildfires in the last 10 years.

The Governor’s Wildfire Task Force will take a comprehensive look at mitigating wildfire threats, review the role that local governments and state officials play in responding to such emergencies and address how these entities can provide more support to the communities impacted. The Task Force will be led by Kansas Secretary of Agriculture Mike Beam and appointments include representatives from local, state and federal agencies and organizations which have played an active role in responding to wildfires across the state, along with several state legislators.