Homes In Northwestern Wisconsin Briefly Evacuated Due To Large Grass Fire

BURNETT COUNTY, Wis. (WCCO) -- A large grass fire in northwestern Wisconsin on Saturday led to homes being evacuated for a short time.

The Burnet County Sheriff's Office says the fire, which burned between Swiss Lake Township and Webb Lake Township, has since been contained. The fire raged in an area roughly 65 miles south of Duluth.

At the request of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the sheriff's office says it issued evacuation notices for some homes in the area while crews battles the flames. The evacuation order has since been lifted.

As of Saturday evening, crews were still working to put out hot spots. Residents were asked to avoid the area.

Earlier in the day, Wisconsin officials issued fire warnings for several counties in the state, saying that dry conditions, high winds and low humidity made the risk of wildfires particularly high.

Across the Mississippi River, grass fires also burned in Minnesota. One fire scorched more than 80 acres in the Twin Cities suburb of Blaine.