A Saturday afternoon grass fire threatened homes in a small Otsego development not far from city hall Saturday, March 28, as winds and dry conditions fanned flames in a small swamp.
Albertville Fire Department, Elk River Fire and Rescue and the Minnesota State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) all assisted with the blaze, with the DNR sending over a helicopter to collect bags of water to drop on the fire from above.
Flames were visible from O’Dean Avenue Northeast (Wright County Highway 37) and smoke could be scene as far away as St. Michael (to the south) and Highway 101 (to the east) as the fire ate up dead ground clutter, including tall grasses, reeds and even cattails.
Homes on the southern end of the wetland were threatened, but firefighters burned back a line to eat up potential fuel leading to the yards off of Ochoa Avenue.
Albertville Fire Chief Tate Mills estimated the size of the fire to be about 20 acres. The cause, at this time, is unknown.
Photographer Jeff Grotte of Otsego nabbed these images from the blaze:
Bloomstrand@gmail.com says
Other than clothes for the girls, what else do the families need right now?