GRANITE FALLS, MN — A brush fire burned 146 acres of wildland near Highway 167 in Yellow Medicine County on Sunday afternoon. The Granite Falls Fire Department was dispatched at 2:23 p.m. and requested help from multiple agencies.
Responding agencies included the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Hanley Falls, Sacred Heart, Wood Lake, Clarkfield, Renville, Maynard, and Montevideo fire departments, along with the Granite Falls Police Department, Yellow Medicine County Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota State Patrol, MnDOT, Xcel Energy, Upper Sioux Emergency Management, and Wildland Fire crews.
The fire damaged fence posts, power poles, and hunting stands. Defensive efforts protected nearby buildings, and no structures were lost. No injuries were reported.
In total, 23 grass rigs, dozens of fire engines and tankers, and two helicopters responded. DNR crews and helicopters remain in the area to monitor conditions due to ongoing fire danger. The cause is under investigation, but foul play and intentional burning are not suspected.
