Missouri Fought More than 80 Wildfires in Just the Last 7 Days

If you don't understand the urgency of fire danger in Missouri, here's something for you to consider. The state of Missouri battled more than 80 wildfires in just the past 7 days alone.

The Missouri Department of Conservation just shared these stunning numbers today to convey what a problem wildfires have become in the state. They said "partnering fire departments and MDC staff reported 224 wildfires covering more than 15,500 acres between March 10-16".

“We are so very thankful for everyone’s efforts in fighting these fires,” said MDC Fire Program Coordinator Ben Webster. “We greatly appreciate the expertise, hard work, and long hours from our staff, the U.S. Forest Service, the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and especially the many rural fire departments who are such vital partners in these efforts.”

The Missouri Department of Conservation has 90 specially-trained staff members who were directly involved in 83 fires last week.

A red flag warning was issued for Missouri again this week with extremely dry conditions combined with very high winds which is a dangerous combination.

That's one reason why the National Weather Service in St. Louis, Missouri said no burning at all should happen early this week. The last thing Missouri needs right now is more wildfires for the authorities to deal with.