Multiple agencies responded to a grass fire Tuesday near the Konza Prairie research area that burned more than 1,300 acres.
The Geary County Rural Fire Department said dispatchers received numerous calls before noon Tuesday regarding spot fires east of Junction City in the area of mile post 313. As crews arrived, they encountered several large smoke columns and found three separate fires spreading to the north. Fire suppression and controlled backburning was used to bring each fire under control.
Firefighters from Geary County, Grandview Plaza and Riley County split efforts to contain the blazes, with assistance from Konza Prairie and Fort Riley Fire and regional task forces. State and local agencies, including the Kansas Division of Emergency Management, Kansas Forest Service and the State Fire Marshal’s Office, were also on scene.
The fires are believed to have been sparked by a dragging chain from a passing vehicle.
