photo by: Courtesy of Douglas County

Crews work near the scene of a grass fire in rural Douglas County in March 2025.

Officials in Douglas County determined a grass fire that burned around 200 acres near Stull on Saturday was sparked by an ember from an old, unattended campfire.

The Douglas County Consolidated Fire District No. 1, with assistance from the Kansas State Fire Marshal, announced in a press release Monday evening that the fire near Stull, in the area of North 1600 and East 400 roads, was started accidentally by the old ember.

The fire, which caused evacuation orders shortly before 5:15 a.m. that lasted for two hours, was under control on Saturday morning. The fire did not cause any structures to be lost and caused no injuries, as the Journal-World reported.

John Mathis, the Fire Chief for Douglas County Consolidated Fire District No. 1, requested in a press release that all camp fires are fully extinguished before leaving. Mathis said it’s important to stir the ashes with water until there is no smoke or heat, and the ashes “should be cold to the touch” before leaving.

“Everyone plays a valuable role in protecting property and lives by preventing fires,” Mathis said.

The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag warning for Monday and Tuesday due to dangerous fire conditions driven by high winds and dry weather. Outdoor burning is currently prohibited in unincorporated areas of Douglas County.

Mathis said in these conditions, fires can “start quickly, spread rapidly and burn intensely.” He asked residents to check old burn sites, extinguish embers and call 911 if you see smoke.

Since Friday morning, the Douglas County Emergency Communications Center has received 43 grassfire-related calls, and the Consolidated Fire District No. 1 responded to at least 20 separate grassfires.

A fire stretches across Kansas 10 Highway just east of the Douglas County line Friday evening.

That doesn’t include a fire just east of the Douglas County line in Johnson County, where crews battled a fire Friday evening that impacted traffic on Kansas Highway 10. A single-vehicle accident near Kill Creek Road just east of De Soto sparked a grass fire that spread into the median of K-10 and delayed traffic on the busy highway.

Kansas City media outlets reported no injuries from the accident or the fire, but said traffic was backed up on K-10 for more than an hour.

For fire safety prevention tips, visit: https://firemarshal.ks.gov.