Fire losses

(cont'd from yesterday's post)

Roughly two million acres burned in the plains states earlier this month. It was the biggest fire in the history of the state of Kansas.

Ranching families now face "years of cleanup and crippling losses after wind-driven wildfires . . devoured homes, miles of fences and as much as 80 percent of some families’ cattle herds." Those ranches are both their homes and their income.

A cow would bring about $2000 at auction, but each is also "an engine that drove their farms and finances, giving birth to new calves every year .  .  ."

Then there was the fencing of all those acres. "[A]t about $10,000 per mile . . new fencing alone may cost [one] ranch about $2 million."

"We’re not asking for freebies here,” [a rancher] said. “We’re going to work our tails off to get this thing rebuilt. We’re going to get the blisters on our hands and roll up our sleeves and do the labor.”

(cont'd tomorrow)