Overview
Wildfire continues to threaten people and property across Kansas. Rapid population growth into Wildland Urban Interface areas and increasing effects of long term drought and increased fuel loading conditions represent major concerns moving forward into the future. Heightened awareness of wildfire threat, prevention, and mitigation are becoming increasingly important to ensure safety.
The Kansas Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal and Risk Explorer are the primary mechanisms for the Kansas Forest Service (KFS) to deploy wildfire risk information and create awareness about wildfire issues across the state. It comprises a suite of applications tailored to support specific workflow and information requirements for the public, local community groups, private landowners, government officials, hazard-mitigation planners, and wildland fire managers. Collectively, these applications will provide the baseline information needed to support mitigation and prevention efforts across the state.
The data layers within the Risk Explorer were developed as part of the Kansas Wildfire Risk Assessment project. Results of the assessment can be used to help prioritize areas in the state where tactical analyses, community interaction and education, or mitigation treatments might be necessary to reduce risk from wildfires. In addition, the information provided in the assessment can be used to support the following key priorities:
- Identify areas that are most prone to wildfire
- Identify areas that may require additional tactical planning, specifically related to mitigation projects and Community Wildfire Protection Planning
- Provide the information necessary to justify resource, budget, and funding requests
- Allow agencies to work together to better define priorities and improve emergency response, particularly across jurisdictional boundaries
- Increase communication with local residents and the public to address community priorities and needs
- Plan for response and suppression resource needs
- Plan and prioritize hazardous fuel treatment programs
Support
A variety of resources are available to help make the most use of the Kansas Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal and Risk Explorer. Support, documentation, and reference information is available from several sources. Key resources are provided below.
User Manual
A step-by-step guide on how to use the Risk Explorer is provided.
Help Desk
Support for use of the Risk Explorer and the data within it is available by using the Contact page. This will allow you to pose questions, make suggestions, and provide feedback. We welcome and encourage your comments so we can continue to improve the Portal to better meet your needs.