Hot, dry and windy weather that helps wildfires spread is becoming more common across much of the U.S., including Kansas and Missouri, a new analysis finds.
Why it matters: What used to be several months of fire season is stretching in some places into a yearlong phenomenon, straining fire departments and others tasked with controlling or containing wild blazes.
Zoom in: "Fire weather" is getting more frequent in Kansas and Missouri, per an analysis from climate research group Climate Central.
Between 1973 and 2024, the number of fire weather days increased around the Kansas City metro from two to five on the Missouri side and from five to 10 on the Kansas side.
Central Kansas, which includes Hays and Salina, added an average of 18 more fire weather days for a total of 26 per year.
