Spark from Train Starts Grass Fire

Spark from Train Starts Grass Fire

26 March 2007

published by www.myfoxtwincities.com

Rockford, Minnesota, USA — A brush fire broke out Mondayevening near Rockford, shutting down the railroad and closing Highway 55 asfirefighters worked to control the spreading flames.

A 911 call around 5:30 p.m. Monday after a spark from atrain started a small brush fire. The wind picked up allowing the fire to spreadquickly, but firefighters credit Highway 55 to the north and the railroad to thesouth acting as barriers, helping contain the fire.

A small numbers of homes were threatened by the fire,forcing three homes to evacuate. No property was damaged in the fire, butfirefighters say 75 to 100 acres of grass was scorched, turning the dryswampland into a wasteland.

Seven fire departments and more than 80 firefighters foughtthe fire. The DNR is monitoring several hotspots overnight