Concerns grow over wildfires getting closer to oil wells in Kansas

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – There are new concerns about how close wildfires can get to oil and gas wells in Kansas.

A study from UC-Berkeley found that from 1984 to 2019, there were five times more wells in wildfire burn areas. There are also more people living near wells.

The study finds there’s double the number of people living within about two-thirds of a mile of wells compared to 1984 numbers.

Butler County officials said they’ve also noticed a significant increase there. They said Butler County is full of oil wells and pipelines.

It’s also home to a host of wildfires. In the last three years, there have been an average of more than 300 grassfire calls each year. With more people moving away from the city and into the country, Butler County officials say they’re getting closer to oil wells and burn areas.

“That’s something we keep a really close eye on, is where do we have that overlap growing, where if a fire develops we’ve got a lot more at risk now, its not just grass that could burn it could burn into a housing unit,” said Keri Korthals, Butler County Emergency Management Director.

Oil helps fuel fires, so it’s key for crews to keep wildfires away from that fuel.

Those conducting the Berkeley study also touched on concerns about negative health effects. They said oil and gas fires could release chemicals that could pose serious health risks.

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