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The majority of the wildfire activity has occurred in the driest area of the state, the northwest corner.
This includes the Oxcart Fire, which burned approximately 13,000 acres on and around portions of Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge near Mentor, Minn., making it the state’s largest wildfire in nearly a decade, and the Goods Fire, which scorched more than 5,500 acres near Red Lake last week.
Northeast Minnesota counties have experienced their share of spring fire activity, as well. To date, 225 wildfires have been reported this spring across northeastern Minnesota and in every county except Cook County. The majority of these fires have been human caused.
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Polk County wildfire 90% contained
The battle appears to finally be winding down in northwest Minnesota. Firefighters there have been battling a historic wildfire in Polk County since Monday. Written By: Matt Henson | ×
Firefighters with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources work to put out hot spots along Highway 2 near Mentor. Matt Henson/WDAY
According to the Minnesota Incident Command System, the wildfire that burned more than 12,000 acres just outside of Mentor was the largest in the state since 2012 when more than 30,000 acres burned near Warroad.
Firefighters spent a fourth day working to put out the fire, which is 90% contained. A wildfire of this magnitude is pretty rare, said Gregg Knutsen, refuge manager for Glacial Ridge Wildlife Refuge.
Large grassfire in northwest Minnesota now 40% contained
The 13,000-acre grassfire did not grow on Tuesday, March 30, though critical fire conditions on Thursday could make fighting the fire a challenge in the coming days.
Written By:
Forum News Service | 5:46 pm, Mar. 31, 2021 ×
A tractor and plow sit idle as a smoke cloud from a large grass fire blocks out the sun at a farmstead near Mentor, Minn., Monday. The tractor and plow were used to create a firebreak in case the fire spread toward the farm. Photo by Eric Hylden/Grand Forks Herald
MENTOR, Minn. The Oxcart Fire west of Mentor, Minn., did not grow on Tuesday, March 30, according to a Minnesota Interagency Fire Center spokesperson. The grassfire is now estimated to be about 12,900 acres and is roughly 40% contained.
The Oxcart Fire in northwestern Minnesota is now 90 percent contained, according to the Minnesota Incident Command System (MNICS). The fire is burning within the Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge west of Mentor.