Close to Home... Area Historic Wildfires

Close to Home... Area Historic Wildfires. . Though the fires noted on this panel are not considered among the most significant in the state's history, this area has experienced some harrowing and memorable wildfires. Over the years, the specialists we count on to deal with wildfires draw on more than a century of experience, scientific advance, and also on the growing knowledge and preparedness of the general public in our collective effort to prevent wildfire from its destructive course., Badoura Fire. In 1976, triggered by the worst drought in 40 years, wildfires began occurring early in the spring. By October, over 3,400 wildfires had been recorded in the state. On September 7, a column of smoke was spotted from the Nimrod Fire Tower. The fire grew quickly. As fire crews on the ground and in the air battled the blaze, it spread to five miles in four hours. MNDNR Forester Alan Wickman, who was helping fight the fire, wrote that it grew so quickly, it raced the next four miles in one hour, reaching over 8 miles in length by 4:30 pm. The wind kept shifting, causing the fire to move and grow. The fire slowed during the evening, but peat in the bogs continued to smolder. Fire crews brought the fire under control after it had burned 23,000 acres. Special thanks goes to over 550 firefighters, foresters, National Guard troops and volunteers who battled the fire and helped bring it under control. , Barrows Fire. A fast-moving fire occurred south of Brainerd on May 31, 2002. The fire burned 720 acres as it raced eastward from the Mississippi River and across Minnesota Highway 371 near the town of Barrows. Area residents remember not only the fearful power of the wildfire, with flames shooting over 100 feet high, but also the quick and efficient action taken by firefighters to bring it under control. More than 200 firefighters included those from area Fire Departments, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, National Guard, private contractors and law enforcement officers. The fire threatened 60 homes and over 100 buildings. No one was injured in the fire. DNR officials note that this fire occurred in what is known as the "urban-forest interface" where residential area melds into natural forest land. This type of fire often requires evacuation of homes. Firefighters are training for fires in this interface, as more homes are built at the edge of the forest. , Green Valley Fire. A wildfire that started near Menagha on May 15, 2013 burned 7,100 acres at the intersection of Hubbard, Wadena, and Becker Counties. The fire destroyed 12 homes, 43 outbuildings, and 3 commercial structures. Three water-scooping aircraft, 15 fire engines, 7 dozers, 9 water-tender trucks, 2 tracked vehicles, and 6 helicopters, along with firefighters from the DNR, National Guard and 40 fire departments battled the blaze. Due to the success of the firefighters, many homes and structures were saved. The Minnesota Incident Command System noted that the fire threatened 158 structures, including 50 homes, 100 outbuildings and 8 commercial buildings. , Clean Water . Healthy Forests . Diverse Recreation.