VIDEO: Five months ago, Hutchinson was devastated by the Cottonwood Complex Fire that happened just east of town, took one life, and destroyed many homes and buildings.
Reno County Emergency Management is preparing to apply for more than $1.3 million of wildfire mitigation funding.
Hutchinson Fire Chief Steve Beer said they fight fires every day, but if they were to get this funding, he said it could help them stay ahead of the game rather than waiting for another fire to pop up and destroy more land and homes.
The Hutchinson Fire Department uses mitigation tactics to avoid more fires, such as burns of 10 miles of key areas where fires have crossed roads before.
“It’s not only the mitigation part, but it’s the education part. We try to educate the homeowners and land owners,” said Beer.
Many homes in Reno County have invasive cedar trees.