SHAWNEE COUNTY —Authorities are working to determine the cause of Thursday morning grass fire that prompted evacuations in Topeka.
Just after 3a.m. Thursday, crews responded to the area of SW 17th and SW Arrowhead Road for a report of a grass fire, according to Fire Marshal Todd Harrison.
Police units that were in the area advised that this was a large fire, and it was spreading to the north due to high winds. The Fire Department had Police unit’s evacuate Homewood Suites Hotel along with homes on SW Cheyenne Hills Road from SW Drury Lane to SW Village Drive. The fire was extinguished and declared under control shortly after 5:00a.m., according to Harrison.
No structures were damaged, and all those evacuated were allowed to return to the hotel and to their homes.
The preliminary investigation indicates the cause of the fire as undetermined, according to Harison.