Wildfire In St. Louis County Burns Through 5 Acres

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A wildfire in St. Louis County left around five acres of grassland charred.

The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office say they believe the fire started near the intersection of Howard Gnesen Road and Lismore Road in Rice Lake Township, where a nearby homeowner was burning cardboard in a barrel fire.

Police evacuated nearby homes as a precaution. No one was injured in the incident, but the blaze destroyed two nearby out buildings and an RV camper.

The fire was contained by the evening, but forestry and fire crews remained on scene to investigate.

Wildfires have left Minnesota State Fire Marshals and DNR Forestry officials scrambling to contain destruction this spring. Experts blame the low humidity, strong winds and lack of snow for the recent uptick in wildfires.

More recently, fire crews have been struggling with a new problem this wildfire season -- drones.