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MANHATTAN – A brush fire threatened farms and closed roads Monday afternoon.
Manhattan Fire Chief Dan Forsythe said the fire was reported about 12:30 p.m. in a field near Kennedy and Tulley roads.
“Because of the high winds [the fire] jumped the road and has traveled about a mile-and-a-half northeast to Wilmington-Peotone Road,” Forsythe said shortly before 2 p.m. “The fire’s going through fields where the corn is already down and the stubble is burning.”
No injuries had been reported, but heavy smoke led to a minor accident on Wilmington-Peotone Road, Forsythe said. The road was expected to be closed for several hours.
“There are a couple farms [in the area] to protect and the wind could cause the fires to pick back up so it will take a few hours before it’s under control,” Forsythe said.