Updated: About 20 acres of Pawnee Prairie Park burned Saturday afternoon

Crews battled a large fire spanning about 20 acres in Pawnee Prairie Park in southwest Wichita on Saturday afternoon.

While the official cause is unknown, Wichita Fire Battalion Chief Lane Pearman said the fire was suspicious and firefighters think it was man-made.

“We actually had two separate fires burning,” he said, adding that the distance between the two was about 150 feet.

The fire was under control in about 30 minutes, and firefighters stayed at the park for another 30 minutes to make sure there weren’t any hot embers.

“Luckily, it was in this part of the park, which is primarily grass,” he said. “We were able to get (the fire) stopped before it got into a bunch of heavy brush and trees.”

The fire stretched along South Carrwood from May to Merton, which is on the South Maize side of the park.

Wind speeds posed a problem for crews, and helped the fire spread before it was noticed by the nearby neighborhood.

Some residents stepped outside, getting close to the fence separating Carrwood from the fire to take pictures and video.

This story was originally published January 20, 2018 at 1:39 PM with the headline "Updated: About 20 acres of Pawnee Prairie Park burned Saturday afternoon."