HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) High winds and low humidity added up to difficult conditions for firefighters in parts of Kansas.
Two houses went up in flames Tuesday in Hutchinson, where Fire Chief Kim Forbes says winds gusting up to 40 mph complicated firefighting efforts. Forbes said crews planned to remain at the scene of the second fire Tuesday night to monitor the area.
In northeastern Kansas, a mile-wide grass fire spread from Jackson County into Brown County on Tuesday afternoon. The cause is unknown. Crews had to battle winds of up to 35 mph to bring that fire under control.
Traffic in Wichita was snarled Tuesday afternoon when a grass fire forced police to close a ramp from Kansas 96 to Interstate 235. Wind gusts of nearly 50 mph were recorded in the city.
