Fire crews contain North Park Goering fire in Hutchinson after threatening 40 homes

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Firefighters continued working hot spots Friday afternoon, Dec. 19, after a grass fire threatened about 40 homes and burned approximately 450 acres in the North Park area of Hutchinson.

The Hutchinson Fire Department reported crews remained on scene at 2 p.m. monitoring small hot spots and tree fires under high fire weather conditions. Officials said they were working to prevent any rekindling of the blaze.

Only one home sustained minor damage in the incident, according to Division Chief of Operations Jeremy Unruh. No injuries to residents, firefighters or animals were reported.

The fire crossed Plum Street four times, placing roughly 40 homes at risk. Crews stopped the eastern flank of the fire, limiting its spread to about 1,000 feet east of Plum Street.

Throughout the night, 60 large hay bales caught fire, requiring attention from both the fire department and Hutchinson Public Works. All hay bales were extinguished as of Friday afternoon.

Fire officials praised Hutchinson residents who heeded evacuation warnings. While the fire ultimately burned a smaller area than initially evacuated, authorities said the blaze had significant potential to spread rapidly.

"Though the fire ended up being much smaller than the evacuation area, there was an absolute potential for this fire to spread much further in a very short amount of time," Unruh said in a statement.

Officials warned this marks just the beginning of wildfire season for Hutchinson and Reno County. The fire department urged residents to stay vigilant, prepare properties for wildfires and create defensible areas around homes.

The department offers programs to inform the public about wildfire preparation, officials said.