(AP) — Firefighters are battling a grass fire in northeast Nebraska that forced some evacuations in Battle Creek.

Strong winds fueled the fire Sunday in a field just west of the town of about 1,200 people. Firefighters from several area cities — including Norfolk, Madison and Tilden — were helping battle the fire.

Some homes on the western edge of Battle Creek were evacuated because of the fire, but it wasn’t immediately clear whether any were damaged.

Rev. Richard Snow leads St. John Lutheran Church in south-central Battle Creek. He told the Norfolk Daily News that it didn’t appear that the town was in danger, but it was unsettling to have ashes falling in town and thick black smoke hanging in the air Sunday afternoon.