HUTCHINSON, Kan. — According to Reno County Emergency Management, Reno County Volunteer Fire Districts were kept busy Tuesday afternoon and evening with multiple grass and brush fires throughout the county.
Reno County Fire District # 9 started the afternoon at 1:45 p.m. with the report of a grass fire in the 20000 block of south Woodberry. Four apparatus with eight personnel responded to the scene and found a working wheat field stubble fire. Fire was controlled with units returning to the station around 2:45 pm.
Reno County Fire District # 4 was paged to a control burn that was no longer contained in the 22000 block of south Hodge Road at 2:30 p.m. Reno Kingman Fire District # 1, Reno County Fire Districts 7 and 8 all provided mutual aid. Trees, brush, and rough terrain made the suppression effort difficult. Reno County Sheriff's Office provided a drone to better determine where the fire was in the trees. Seventeen apparatus and twenty personnel assisted with the suppression effort. Mutual aid units cleared the scene around 5:45 p.m. Fire District # 4 remained on scene until approximately 7:30 p.m. At this time, the number of acres burned has not been determined.
While returning to the stations Fire District # 8 was paged to a grass fire at Yoder Road and Trails West.
Fire District # 9 responded to assist as available Fire District # 8 units were still a distance away. A small ditch fire had burned out further to the north along Yoder Road. A total of 4 apparatus and 7 personnel responded.
At around 6:55 p.m. Fire District # 8 responded to call of smoke with no fire in the area of K-14 and Lake Cable. No fire was found in that location and units continued investigation and found an area that had burned and been put out by a citizen in the 13000 block of S K-14. Three apparatus and four personnel responded to the call.
Around 8:15 p.m. Reno County Fire District # 4 returned to the area of 18000 west Sun City to investigate and work trees and brush that were on fire. Fire District # 4 cleared the scene around 9:45 p.m.