Grass Fire

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.

A large grass fire in Stanton County is almost out. Emergency Manager Vaughn Lorenson tells Eyewitness News that 95-percent of the fire is controlled and only local firefighters are left on the scene, working to put out hot spots. No injuries have been reported in this fire, but the damage is bad enough that Gov. Sam Brownback declared a State of Disaster Emergency Declaration. The fire has burned an area of approximately 60 square miles (38,400 acres). It also threatened the communities of Johnson City and Manter, but neither was evacuated.

Firefighters battled several grass fires along K-96 in Reno County Thursday afternoon. Trains traveling in the area sparked several fires along the railroad tracks between Mt. Hope and Haven. The fires are now out. No one was hurt and no damage is reported. Heavy smoke blew across the road, making it hard for drivers to see.

Arkansas City police say a man found in critical condition at a grassfire has died. Police say the 76-year-old Eugene Hoag was found by firefighters who were also battling that fire just east of Arkansas City on Thursday. The man was found with burns to his body. He was rushed to Cowley County Hospital, then to a Wichita hospital where he later died. The cause of fire was determined to be related to a brush pile being burned in the vicinity that got out of control, burning on 6 different properties covering approximately 4 acres.

Lincoln County crews say they've doused a 100 acre grass fire enough it shouldn't reignite. Rod Job, Lincoln County Emergency Manager, says the blaze near Barnard began when a formerly controlled burn rekindled. No one was hurt and no buildings were damaged.  Crews from eight stations helped get control of the fire; including groups from Barnard, Beverly and Lincoln.

It's been going on for hours, a grass fire that started around two o'clock Wednesday afternoon in Rice County. 911 dispatchers say fire departments from three counties are working to get the fire under control. There's no word about the fire threatening any buildings. No one was hurt.

Crews battle a large grass fire in Lincoln County. It broke out some time Saturday afternoon about three to four miles north of I-70. That's just north of Ellsworth. The fire is currently under control. Crews from several different fire departments in the area have been called to help. According to our news partners with the Salina Journal, two firefighters were burned in the blaze. They are expected to recover.

A grass fire in Maize was one of a dozen calls departments in Sedgwick County responded to Sunday. Several hay bales caught fire after a controlled burn became out of control just outside the city. But beginning Sunday, Sedgwick County is banning any open burning of brush, grass or trash in barrels. "These weather conditions are not conducive to burning outside anything," says Chief Tammy Snow. After weeks of dry weather and wind gusting over 20 miles an hour, Wichita Fire Chief Tammy Snow says she hasn't seen conditions like these in years.

It takes firefighters from Stafford, Reno and Pratt Counties more than five hours to get a grassfire under control Wednesday. Fire officials say the fire started Wednesday afternoon about eight miles south of Stafford. Wind gusts as fast as 30 mph blew the fire into Pratt county. While no one was hurt and no buildings were damaged, a Stafford County fire truck was destroyed by the fire after its engine stalled and could not be restarted. Investigators believe the exhaust of an ATV started the fire.

Fire crews across the state of Kansas remain on high alert as grass fires continue to break out. Officials that spoke to Eyewitness News say the fires have been popping up due to the unusually dry fall that the state is experiencing. "The lack of humidity and of course being in Kansas the windblown weather also is a factor" says Salina Fire Marshal Roger Williams. Homeowners are urged to treat their yard as a defensive zone when surveying any possible grass fire dangers around their property.