(Spirit Lake)– Several area fire departments spent a portion of Christmas Day battling a large grass fire northwest of Spirit Lake.
Spirit Lake Fire Chief David Kollasch tells KUOO news firefighters were called around 1:30 p.m. Sunday to 1304 Highway 86, north of Vick’s Corner. Kollasch says a brush fire had gotten out of control and had spread to some nearby DNR ground. Assistance was then called from the Lake Park, Arnolds Park-Okoboji and Superior Fire Departments. Firefighters spent the better part of the afternoon battling the blaze, which burned an estimated 150 to 160 acres of land.
No injuries were reported. Firefighters were on the scene several hours.
Kollasch says the lack of snow cover and extremely dry vegetation are once again combining to create an extremely high fire danger. Kollasch says he plans to visit with other chiefs in the county and Emergency Management about the possibility of once again banning open burning.
The Spirit Lake Fire Department was assisted on the scene by the Arnolds Park-Okoboji, Lake Park and Superior Fire Departments and the Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office.
Kollasch says the blaze at one point was threatening a building site, but he says they were able to prevent it from spreading to that area.
