Kentucky under state of emergency as dozens of wildfires spread amid drought conditions

Just two days after being reelected, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has issued a state of emergency as firefighters battle dozens of wildfires. More than 30 wildfires are burning after the governor said ongoing drought conditions "intensified" the threat. 

There are 31 active fires that "continue to spread," the governor said, There are also 36 contained fires and 44 controlled fires, the latter of which are considered no longer at risk of spreading. 

Beshear issued the state of emergency on Thursday, saying that long-range forecasts predict "threats of major impacts to health and safety of citizens, infrastructure, governmental properties, local economies, and private properties." Some eastern counties have also declared states of emergency, and firefighters from Oregon and Idaho have traveled to Kentucky to help. 

"We are taking action to make sure that Kentucky families and communities have the resources they need," Beshear said in statement.

He has also activated price gouging laws, which aim to prevent goods and services from becoming overpriced during the fires. A dozen counties are under total burn bans, meaning that no burning of forests, grasses, leaves or debris is allowed, nor are campfires, bonfires or open pit cooking or charcoal grilling. Those not under total bans are under overnight bans until Dec. 15, CBS affiliate WYMT reported.

A map from the Kentucky Division of Forestry shows most of the active fires are in Kentucky's east. The largest appears to be the Alex Creek Road fire in Knox County, which has burned more than 2,500 acres and was at 80% containment, as of Thursday. Further south, the Yocum Creek Road fire has burned 1,500 acres and was at 50% containment, the division map shows. 

As of Friday morning, WYMT reported that more than 20,000 acres have burned within the last week. No deaths or injuries have been reported. 

Kessley Baker, a wildfire mitigation specialist with the Division of Forestry, told WYMT that while several eastern Kentucky counties had rain on Friday, she doesn't think it will be enough to clear out the flames. 

"It only takes a few hours of sunshine for leaves and fine fuels to dry out," Baker said, adding that humidity levels are expected to drop next week. "So, this rain will give us a good head start for next week, but we are still staying cautious and getting prepared." 

"It's not over yet," she added. "It's going to take a really good soaking." 

An ongoing drought has made battling the fires more difficult, officials said, as the U.S. Drought Monitor shows that much of the South is experiencing some level of drought. A large portion of Kentucky is currently experiencing low levels, with the counties mostly experiencing wildfires under "moderate drought" conditions. 

Forecasters say 2023 is "virtually certain" to be the hottest year ever recorded on Earth, and as temperatures increase, droughts are among numerous weather conditions that scientists expect will only become more intense and frequent. 

"The current drought and unseasonably warm weather has made controlling wildfires more difficult," the Kentucky Division of Forestry wrote on Facebook earlier this week. "When it is unusually dry, crews need to spend more time and use heavy equipment to make sure fires that are contained stay out. With more than 50 wildfires over the weekend, division resources are stretched thin." 

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• Andy Beshear
• Wildfire
• Kentucky