High winds on and around February 17 led to a few disasters in Finney County. One of the largest accidents was a pileup of 15 cars between Holcomb and Garden City, caused by wind-blown dust reducing driver visibility. Another tragedy was that of a large fire around Garfield Township. Both incidents ended with minimal damage, although other similar incidents around Kansas were not as lucky. Many involved in the agriculture business are familiar with the concept of fires.

“A lot of us think about the cattle. It’s very easy for fire to spread quickly and a lot of the efforts we organize are specific for them,” Elizabeth Huck, Agriculture Science teacher, said.

Plans are made for cattle and crops due to the high likelihood of fires occurring in Kansas.

“We obviously need more moisture around here and when we don’t have it, fires are a major concern. If a field were to catch fire it could lead to someone’s entire livelihood falling apart,” Trell Baker, Public Service senior, said.

Fires pose a massive danger to those working in agriculture, and support often comes from the agriculture community.

“A lot of help comes very quickly. That’s very great but what can be even better than that is checking back after a few months because building back takes a while,” Huck said.

Firefighters were able to tame the fire, which stretched nearly 11 miles long in some areas. Local communities are working to rebuild and people are encouraged to search for ways to help through donations.

“It’s awesome to see the support we receive from local communities,” Huck said, “One of the best parts of agriculture is that it’s such a tight knit industry, so there’s always a great outpour of support when disasters happen.”