7 April 2023
SALINA, Kan. (KSNW) — Authorities in Saline County are warning that it does not take much for controlled burns to get out of control. It says it happened twice on Thursday.
In one case, someone was burning a field along Forsee Road, southwest of Salina. The wind direction changed, and the fire spread to a barn.
The owner used a hose to put the fire out but didn’t have enough water pressure. The blaze destroyed the barn and also damaged a nearby pickup.
In the other case, someone burned a brush pile at a property in the 400 block of E. Water Well Road. The person thought the fire was out and left. But authorities say the embers reignited and burned some nearby wood piles.
A fire burns through some wood piles on Water Well Road on April 6, 2023. (Photo Courtesy Saline County Sheriff’s Office)
Saline County Undersheriff Brent Melander wants citizens to be aware that even if they have burn permits, they must be extra careful.