Moose River West Fire currently contained
Tue, 08/28/2018 - 11:24am
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As of Monday, August 27th, the Moose River West Fire has been contained. According to Kristi Coughlon, MN DNR Public Information Officer, there are still about 30 crew members on site that will continue to monitor the area over the next couple of days. DNR prescribed burns are a common occurrence, but what most people wanted to understand was why one was conducted when we were under such extreme fire danger. Coughlin offered, “The prescribed fire was planned. The burn area was prepared by burning back the fire lines and all conditions were met to go ahead with the burn.” The controlled burn was intended to burn off 12,000 acres on the Moose River Wildlife Management Area. The blaze escaped on the east side of Dick’s Parkway, about 5 miles north of Fourtown, which is when it officially became a wildfire, and burned 452 acres on the Red Lake Wildlife Management Area. No private land or structures were affected.
With the rainfall over the weekend, a lot of relief was provided in regards to the fire behavior. Most of the crews left Sunday morning with a handful still on site to keep watch over any smoldering areas. Read below for previous press releases regarding the Moose River West Fire.
Governor Dayton calls Minnesota National Guard to assist in firefighting efforts in Beltrami County
Official Press Release from last Thursday, August 23rd
Governor Mark Dayton issued Executive Order 18-12, calling upon the Minnesota National Guard to assist with firefighting efforts in Beltrami County. The National Guard will support the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) ongoing firefighting efforts in Beltrami County, where a 500-acre wildfire began yesterday. “The women and men of the Minnesota National Guard are trained and ready to take on this important mission,” said Maj. Gen. Jon Jensen, Adjutant General of the Minnesota National Guard. “We will do all we can to successfully support this firefighting effort.”
In ongoing efforts to contain and extinguish the wildfire in Beltrami County, the Minnesota National Guard will provide the assistance of two water-dropping helicopters. The UH60 (Blackhawk) helicopter is capable of dumping 660 gallons of water on the fire at one time. The CH47 (Chinook) helicopter is capable of dumping 2,000 gallons of water on the fire at one time.
The wildfire in Beltrami County began on Wednesday, as a result of a DNR-prescribed fire which was intended to manage brushlands in northwest Minnesota. At this time, the fire is limited to state lands within the Beltrami Island State Forest. Thus far, no structures or private land are threatened.
Current fire danger in northwest Minnesota is categorized as “very high,” and is expected to remain high for the next several days.
DNR prescribed burn turns into NW Minnesota wildfire
Written by Key Teeters with TRF Radio, last Thursday, August 23rd
9:00pm update
Air support has been “released” this evening after Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton called up the Minnesota National Guard this afternoon assist the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources fighting a five hundred acre wildfire in the Red Lake National Wildlife Refuge, four miles north of Fourtown in Beltrami County.
Wildfire Section Manager Paul Lundgren says the ground fight is continuing with no injuries and no property damage reported. Lundgren said containment efforts will continue Friday morning, with monitoring and patrolling through-out the day.
The DNR rated Fire Danger as “extreme” today in Northwest Minnesota, the highest alert level possible short of a Red Flag Warning; with no burning permits issued and only recreational campfires (within a three foot ring) allowed.
3:20am update
DNR officials say they are “making good progress” against the Moose River West Fire, a wildfire burning on 525 acres North of Fourtown in the Red Lake Wildlife Management Area/Beltrami County.
Spokeswoman Kristi Coughlon says some the aircraft fighting the fire has been released and fire fighters are “holding the line,” with no injuries reported and no property damage.
The cause of the fire was a DNR prescribed burn in the Moose River Wildlife Management Area that jumped the containment line at Dick’s Parkway and was moving north this afternoon.
The DNR is throwing everything they have at it, fighting the fire with track vehicles and a heavy effort by air, including three helicopters, a fixed wing aircraft and air tanker with the Minnesota State Patrol providing air reconnaissance.