“The grass is deceptively green,” said Meeker County Chief Deputy Brad Lindgren last week after two grass fires got out of hand Wednesday in the Dassel and Darwin areas.
The deputy dispatched Litchfield fire at 12:42 p.m., after spotting a grass fire at a residence on County State Aid Highway 14 in Darwin Township. Dassel Fire and Grove City Fire were later dispatched to assist.
More than 100 acres of grass and swamp area were burned in the fire, and David Edward Dietel, 44, Darwin, was cited for burning without a permit, according to the report.
Dassel Fire was dispatched again at 2:51 p.m., to 26431 743rd Avenue in Dassel Township after the resident reported an out-of-control grass fire. Cokato Fire provided mutual aid.
The owner had a permit to burn, and roughly 10-15 acres were burned.
Burning permits are issued through the Department of Natural Resources and there wasn’t a burning ban, Lindgren explained.
Conditions are dry, however, Lindgren said, and people should be extremely careful when burning, particularly if there is a wind.
He also advises never leaving a fire unattended, and obtaining a burning permit from the DNR prior to burning.
Burning permits can be purchased for $5 per calendar year through the DNR website, www.dnr.state.mn.us under permits; through your township fire warden, or call the local DNR Forestry office. For the Montrose office, call (763) 675-3301; or for the Hutchinson office call (320) 234-2560.
As of Friday, a burning ban had been issued for much of the state, including Meeker, McLeod and Wright counties.
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