A grass fire Sunday near the Kiowa County road and bridge maintenance shop northwest of Eads burned as much as five acres of grass and damaged equipment, vehicles and a Colorado Department of Transportation message board at the nearby CDOT maintenance yard.

According to the Kiowa County Sheriff’s Office, the Kiowa County Volunteer Fire Department was called to the fire around 12:30 p.m. Ten firefighters, members of the Sheriff’s Office, and county residents battled the blaze, which closed Highway 287 for 20 minutes due to heavy smoke.

The fire’s cause is under investigation, and may be linked to a controlled burn earlier in the day.

Photo courtesy Kiowa County Sheriff's Office