RENO COUNTY —Crews were busy again fighting grass fires Thursday in Reno County.
Just after 1:30 p.m., Reno Kingman Joint Fire District # 1 was called to a grass fire in the area of K-14 and Pleasant Valley Road, according to Emergency Management Director Adam Weishaar in a media release.
Residential structures were threatened, but none were damaged. Dry conditions contributed to rapid fire spread.
For a period of time K-14 between Fountain Green and Castleton was closed due to heavy smoke conditions across the highway. Reno County Sheriff's Office, Haven Police Department and the Kansas Highway Patrol provided traffic control.
The fire was finally brought under control at approximately 4 p.m. Units were still on the scene late into the afternoon and early evening for mop up. A Task Force was activated along with mutual aid units to assist in the fire including Reno Harvey Joint Fire District # 2, Reno County Fire District # 3, Reno County Fire District # 8, Reno County Fire District # 9, South Hutchinson Fire Department and Hutchinson Fire Department. Pretty Prairie EMS and Reno County Emergency Management.
A total of sixteen apparatus and support units responded along with 36 personnel. At the current time, it is estimated 80 acres burned. Farm machinery was the fire’s ignition source.
The second fire near Fun Valley was called in just before 2:30 p.m. That fire required extensive overhaul and chainsaw operations and crews were on scene there for about three hours.
A third call came in just before 4:30 p.m. to 3501 West 9th, where crews found multiple brush piles and debris on fire spreading through multiple yards. That fire was contained quickly, but required extensive overhaul.
No injuries were reported from any of the fires. Temperatures were in the 90s Thursday afternoon with relative humidity below 30%.