Prairie fire burns more than 10,000 acres

? More than 10,000 acres of prairie burned Wednesday in Butler County before fire officials were able to bring the blaze under control, authorities said.

No injuries had been reported in the fire, which caused the evacuation of an elementary school and a neighborhood. Gov. Kathleen Sebelius declared a state of disaster emergency for the county, which will assist in recovery efforts.

The fire burned at least three oil storage tanks and a few outbuildings. In a neighborhood off Kansas Highway 196, one home sustained minor damage and an unoccupied house used to store antiques burned to the ground.

Fire officials said the blaze was between 80 percent and 85 percent contained by late afternoon.

At one point the fire closed both the Kansas Turnpike at El Dorado and Kansas 196 from Potwin to K-254. Those highways were reopened by late afternoon.

Officials said the blaze started when a deputy pulled over a driver pulling a trailer. When the driver slowed, the tongue of the trailer popped off the hitch and dragged on the pavement, kicking up sparks.