An 80 acre grass fire near Great Bend is caused by a fallen tree.

 The fire broke out around 3:30 Monday afternoon just south of Ellinwood in central Kansas. Firefighters battled the blaze for nearly four and a half hours before managing to extinguish it. Upon investigation, it was discovered that the source of the fire was an old tree. The tree has been struck by lightning sometime during the weekend. The tree smoldered until it finally toppled over and started the grass fire.

This isn't the first time fire crews have encountered the issue. Firefighters advise that if you think an old tree has been smoldering, you should notify authorities.