Local firefighters have had to stay on their toes recently because dry conditions and a lack of snowfall have contributed to an unusual string of grass fires.
"Oh yeah, last week we had a lot," Foley Fire Chief Mark Pappenfus said. "The biggest one probably burnt about 30 acres."
Since the beginning of the month, grass fires have broken out in St. Cloud, Sauk Rapids, St. Joe, Foley, Becker and Clear Lake. In Foley, seven grass fires were recorded from Dec. 5-11.
"That's very unusual," Pappenfus said.
According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, during the past 20 years December has ranked among the five lowest months when it comes to average acres of land burned per month. At 127.5 acres, it lies ahead of July (125.3), February (111.0), September (109.2) and January (52.4).
In the latest information released by the DNR, more than 99 percent of the state -- including Stearns, Benton and Sherburne counties -- fell within the range of being abnormally dry to having exceptional levels of drought. Just over 56 percent of the state fell within the range of moderate drought to exceptional drought.
"It's been a long dry spell and all this dry material is still exposed. It's not covered by snow," Batallion Chief for the St. Cloud Fire Department Leon Faust said. "You don't normally think of grass fire season in the winter."
Ignorance can lead to big problems, Faust said. He noted that the St. Cloud Fire Department recently had to deal with a grass fire near Interstate Highway 94 because of what Faust predicted was a careless driver who tossed a cigarette into the ditch. The fire was small and contained, but continued carelessness could easily spell trouble, Faust said.
"I think (people) need to maintain that mindset ... and keep in mind that there is no snow on the ground. This is just as dry as it is in the fall and the summer."
The conditions make structure fires in dry areas even more dangerous. A structure fire Dec. 9 in Clear Lake managed to cause damage the next day when an ember rekindled in dry conditions and sparked a fire.
"It was in an area that had a lot of pine trees and had about 3 inches of needles," Clear Lake Fire Chief Ron Koren said after the incident. "It's very late in the year for them ... but there's a heightened risk for grass fires."
Faust said the DNR and fire officials take steps to make sure that citizens don't endanger themselves during dry periods by suspending or limiting the number of agricultural burning permits that are issued. Faust also noted the DNR works hard to keep people aware of dangerous conditions.
"When things get extremely dry, there are times where there were burning restrictions and officials weren't handing out agricultural burning permits," Faust said.
With less precipitation and the constant threat of a grass fire, Pappenfus said Foley's firefighters always have their gear ready. Faust is optimistic that firefighters aren't the only ones who understand the threat this current streak of dry weather has created.
"We just hope that they're always careful when they're burning because (fires) can always get out of hand at this time of year," Faust said.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
