Plains residents flee tornado, fires

Police evacuate 21 square miles in Kansas as blazes follow storm

• 10 killed in Midwest twisters

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(CNN) -- Severe weather that included at least one tornado struck Hutchinson, Kansas, on Thursday, but worse for some residents were the fires that inexplicably broke out after the storm passed.

Several fires, as many as 18, were reported in Hutchinson, including some at homes, said Tim Newman, coordinator for the Reno County Community Emergency Response Team.

The fires were under control by Thursday night and no one was injured, officials said.

Hutchinson is a city of about 40,000 people 50 miles northwest of Wichita.

Authorities have yet to pinpoint a definite cause for the blazes, but they broke out after the storm downed power lines, Newman said.

Twenty-one square miles were evacuated for several hours as a precaution, said Reno County Sheriff Randy Henderson. The affected area was considerably smaller, he said, but officials were concerned about the 40 mph winds. Residents were allowed to return to their homes Thursday night.

Said Newman, "We've got high winds that are following the front that came through and fanning the flames."

In addition to spreading the fire, high winds hampered crop-dusters' efforts to douse the eastward moving flames, he said.

Henderson said about 5,000 acres were burned, but only five homes were reported damaged along with numerous out-buildings.

Though the blazes were under control, Henderson said officials would keep an eye on the winds overnight to make sure the fires didn't flare up.

The tornado, which officials say might have touched down twice in and near Hutchinson, caused only minor damage along state Highway 61, Newman said.

Emergency officials received a report from a Hutchinson police lieutenant who saw the tornado touch down near his home, he said. The twister also apparently damaged automobiles at a car lot in Hutchinson.

The severe weather was moving into Missouri, and tornado warnings remained in effect along the state line Thursday night.