Fire chars 200 acres of area wildlife preserve

Twelve firefighting departments and about 100 firefighters assisted in controlling a blaze

that charred about 200 acres of open grassland and marsh located east of Rice Lake in the Findlay Wildlife Management Area the evening of Thursday, April 16. The fire was first reported to the Waseca Fire Department (WFD) at about 7 p.m. According to information shared by the WFD, the first crew arriving on the scene “determined the fire had spread to a large region” and sent word backup should be requested.

 

According to Waseca fire chief Jason Forshee, the DNR and Waseca County Sheriff’s Department are investigating the cause of the fire, which no longer posed a danger by 11:30 p.m.

 

Firefighters used vehicles ranging in size from ATVs to tankers to navigate the area, using backpack water tanks to douse flames and air blowers to confine the fire to areas where its fuel had already been exhausted.

 

Efforts to access and combat the blaze were hindered by the marshy terrain, Forshee said, with numerous vehicles among the 50 or so in use getting stuck in wet ground. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources was contacted, and was able to transport its “Marsh Master” vehicle to the area by about 10 p.m. Since the Marsh Master is amphibious, has tracks instead of wheels, and can float in water, Forshee said it was very useful in navigating the needed territory.

 

He also observed that the ground-level moisture helped slow the spread of flames, keeping them from reaching all the way to the roots of plants, as was the case during the wildfire in March of 2024, when about 1,600 acres were burned. “Back then it was so dry we could drive wherever we wanted,” Forshee recalled.

 

Winds were also less of a factor, with breezes in the vicinity of 10 mph rather than the much higher speeds of 2024. Lower winds and a slower spreading fire meant no extreme measures were needed to protect homes and buildings, as had been the case two years ago. Forshee mentioned that an unexpected shift in the wind during the evening did cause firefighters to change their efforts from preventing the spread of flames toward the NNE to protecting against southward movement.

 

Firefighting departments which assisted the WFD on April 16 included the Department of Natural Resources, Ellendale, Elysian, Faribault, Janesville, Kilkenny, New Richland, Owatonna, Medford, Morristown, and Waterville. Forshee also expressed gratitude to other agencies which made important contributions to the efforts, including North Memorial Health Ambulance and personnel from the Waseca Police Department, Waseca County Sheriff’s office, 911 dispatchers, Waseca Fire Auxiliary, and the state fire marshal’s office.

 

“We’re always grateful for the support of the community,” Forshee continued, mentioning that Barney’s Drive-In in Waseca opened especially for the purpose of providing food for the firefighters and members of the fire department auxiliary delivered beverages and snacks to people working at the site of the fire.