When the biggest fire in the state was burning through Clark County in March, Kansas didn’t have any resources to send to help local firefighters.

Mile after pasture mile, ragweed and other plants brushed the sides of Greg Gardiner’s pickup as he piloted pastures lined with sandy tracks engulfed in green. In places, jungles of wild sunflowers up to 5 feet tall grew where, three months ago, just sand and ash had stretched for as far as the eye could see.