BARNUM — The County Road 11 wildfire that started on September 4th has been completely contained as of Tuesday, September 12th, according to the Minnesota Interagency Fire Center.
Although the 82-acre fire seems to be contained, officials conducted an aerial survey of the area using a plane equipped with infrared capabilities on Tuesday to identify any remaining hot spots, as stated in a news release. Firefighters planned to address these hot spots and review previously affected areas along gridlines.
The news release mentioned that “fire activity is minimal with some smoldering in spots. No fire spread is expected.” Furthermore, the region experienced 0.4 inches of rain overnight on Monday, September 11th.
According to Leanne Langeberg, the public information officer for the Minnesota Interagency Fire Center, there were no reported injuries among residents or firefighters. Additionally, no buildings or structures were reported damaged or lost.
The fire led to the evacuation of six residences last week, but the evacuation orders were lifted on Friday, September 8th, allowing people to return to their homes.
The peat soil posed a challenge for firefighters as it acts as a fuel source, facilitating underground fire spread, as mentioned in a news release. Consequently, crews employed a bulldozer, two excavators, and six tracked vehicles, in addition to six fire engines and one water tender, to extinguish the fire.
Responding to the wildfire were firefighters from Barnum, Moose Lake, Blackhoof, and Carlton, as well as personnel from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Carlton County Sheriff’s Office.
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