ECKLES TOWNSHIP -- Local emergency personnel spent much of the evening on Tuesday battling a wildfire in Eckles Township that burned around 75 acres of grass and pine forest.
According to a release from Beltrami County Sheriff Ernie Beitel, the sheriff’s office received a report at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, July 13, of a wildfire near the 5700 block of Radar Road Northwest, in Eckles Township, approximately 3.5 miles northwest of Bemidji. The caller reported there was fire on both sides of Radar Road in a forested area on the south side of the roadway.
Members of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources forestry department, Bemidji Fire Department and Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office were initially dispatched with additional support requested from the Solway Fire Department and the Minnesota DNR air firefighting contingent.
The fire quickly spread southward, fueled by the extremely dry conditions causing the Minnesota DNR to issue a voluntary evacuation notice to the residential area located south of Jackpine Road Northwest, between Cardinal Road Northwest and Eckles Road Northwest, Beitel said.
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"Not only were lives and homes threatened by this wildland fire but it also had a potential impact to farms and cropland in the area," Beitel said in the release. The Bemidji Fire Department confirmed that no structures were lost in the fire.
As of 5:45 p.m. Tuesday, around 75 acres of grass and pine were burning about 1/4 of a mile west of Cardinal Road Northwest and Radar Road Northwest, according to Kristi Coughlon, public information officer with the Bemidji DNR.
At approximately 6:17 p.m., the evacuation order was lifted after the DNR reported the fire being contained but the area remained closed to non-residents.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation by the Minnesota DNR, Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office, but is considered suspicious in nature. The sheriff’s office is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the potential source.
If anyone who lives in the area or traveled in the area prior to the fire being discovered observed any suspicious people or vehicles, they are asked to contact the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office at (218) 333-9111 and select option 2.
Emergency personnel responding to the wildland fire included:
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- Bemidji Fire Department had 10 apparatuses and 24 firefighters
- Solway Fire Department had four apparatuses and 10 firefighters
- Minnesota DNR had 12 apparatuses and 50 firefighters
- Three helicopters and five fixed-wing aircrafts
- Bemidji police had two officers assisting with traffic control
- Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office had nine deputies and investigators on scene
The stretch of Radar Road Northwest, between Cardinal Road Northwest and Eckles Road Northwest, remains closed while clean up, hot spot efforts, and the investigation as to the source of the fire is being investigated, Beitel said.
"The Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank all those who helped with the firefighting efforts and evacuation," Beitel said. "As the drought continues, conditions are expected to further deteriorate. Citizens are reminded to exercise incredible caution with all potential fire sources. This includes warm vehicle exhaust in dry grasses, recreational fires and construction activities.
"There are many air firefighting resources positioned in Bemidji that rely on local bodies of water. If you see aircraft doing water collection on area lakes, please yield the right of way."
