Polk County (trfnews.i234.me) – We’re following breaking news this Wednesday evening in Polk County, where a significant grass fire has erupted in the Glacial Ridge Wildlife Refuge, roughly 14 miles east of Crookston, Minnesota.
The fire triggered a general fire aid page that brought in multiple fire departments including:
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Mentor Fire
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Crookston Fire
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Fertile Fire
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Along with Minnesota DNR crews equipped with tracked vehicles to reach remote areas.
Due to the terrain, large trucks can’t access the burn zone, so rangers with portable water tanks are being deployed into the refuge, while tanker trucks remain on roads to refill the mobile crews.
A nearby resident speculated the fire may have originated from a controlled burn that got out of control—though that has not yet been officially confirmed.
Fortunately, no structures appear to be immediately threatened by the blaze, but the situation remains fluid as crews work hard to contain the fire across the difficult landscape of the wildlife area.
We’ll continue to monitor developments as firefighters battle this large wildfire under challenging conditions.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News
🔍 Did you know?
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The Glacial Ridge Wildlife Refuge is one of the largest tallgrass prairie restoration projects in the U.S.
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Wildfires in these areas can spread rapidly due to high grass and strong winds.
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Controlled burns are commonly used in conservation areas, but they carry risk if conditions change suddenly.
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The Minnesota DNR often assists rural departments with tracked vehicles and specialized wildfire crews.
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Polk County has a network of volunteer fire departments that often work together on rural emergency calls.