Grass Fire

An overheated car is being blamed on sparking a major grass fire in Decatur County. The fire started early Tuesday afternoon six miles west of Oberlin.  The Operations Manager of High Plains Radio Andrew Stossmeister says the overheated car was sitting on the side of the road when it sparked a fire. The fire moved northeast more than ten miles, taking out several out buildings seven wheat fields. He says several buildings were evacuated because of the flames, including his radio station.  He says for about an hour they were kept out. Stossmeister says the radio station was lucky, because the flames didn't jump the highway.  But he says the other side of the highway sustained more damage.

Several fire departments battled a 60-acre grass fire west of Buhler in Reno County Wednesday afternoon. The fire is now out. Reno County officials tell us that a shed was threatened, but crews kept it from catching fire. The fire burned along East 95th Avenue between Buhler and Medora. No injuries were reported. Click to See Photos of the Fire A month ago, a farmer burnt straw bales. Last week, the fire re-ignited and 20 acres of the wheat field caught fire.

Firefighters continue to monitor hot spots into the night after a large grass fire started near El Dorado.  "It takes almost nothing to start one of these fires," Butler County Emergency Management Director Jim Schmidt says.  "We've had fires started by lightening the other day--we've had chains dragging.  There's just no moisture. " Thirty trucks from ten departments responded. Four homes were threatened by the flames.  Firefighters evacuated the residents and were able to save their houses from the fire.

Dry and windy conditions kept firefighters busy Thursday afternoon as they battled a large grass fire in Wilson County. Click Here for Damage Photos Several outbuildings were destroyed in the area, but no homes were damaged. There are no reports of serious injuries, but two firefighters were treated briefly for smoke inhalation and heat exhaustion. The fire burned rought three square miles of farm land along Highway 400 south of Fredonia.

Crews from nearly a dozen departments battled a fire in Rice County Wednesday afternoon. The fire burned several acres near the town of Little River. Click here for photos from the fire Flames destroyed one house. An abandoned house, a railroad trestle bridge and outbuildings were also destroyed. There are no reports of any injuries. Crews spent Wednesday evneing putting out hotspots and keeping an eye on the wind. The fire started when a piece of farm equipment overheated.

A grass fire ignited Tuesday after a car caught on fire after turning upside down in a ditch in McPherson. Everyone was able to get out of the car before the fire started. No one was injured. The fire burned the ditch, wheat stubble, and a small portion of a corn field. 20 to 30 acres were burned. Additional grass fire units were called in to help battle the blaze. EMS was on stand-by due to the heat.

At first it was thought to be an oil field explosion,  but now Reno County authorities say the issue was actually a grass fire. The grass fire is out, but for a short time it prompted road closures on Trail West Road from K-17 to Valley Pride.  The roads were closed because of gas lines in the area. It's unclear right now why there was confusion between an explosion and grass fire.  The Reno County Sheriff previously said residents felt the ground shake within a half mile radius.

The Ellsworth County Sheriff's Office tells Eyewitness News the fire is now out. No one was hurt and nothing was destroyed by the blaze. ----- A least eight fire departments are on the scene of a grass fire in Ellsworth County. Sheriff Tracy Cloutz tells Eyewitness News a train sparked the fire at 25th Road and Hwy 140. "There was just enough wind to fuel it. " says Cloutz. Cloutz says he doesn't know if emergency officials had stopped the train. He says he doesn't believe any structures are threatened.

A vehicle fire sparked a small grass fire and burned a second vehicle Wednesday afternoon. It happened on I-235 next to Towne West Square. According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, the driver was headed south on I-235 when he noticed fire in the bed of his truck. He pulled over to the side of the road to put out the flames. However, the fire overwhelmed the truck and it began to roll. It crossed the median, the northbound lanes of traffic, rolled down the hill, through a fence and hit two parked vehicles.

The threat for grass fires continue throughout western Kansas, as the extreme heat and dry conditions continue. Click Here to See Photos Emergency Manager Bill Ring says about 1,000 acres burned in Ellis County Wednesday. The canyon is in the northeast quadrant of the county.  He says the area that burned is filled with oil wells and cattle. No cattle were lost in the fire, but Midwest Energy lost a lot of power poles. Power poles also burned in Phillips County Wednesday.