Area Firefighters Contain Grass Fire North of Motley

Photo Credit: Pillager Fire Department

Firefighters responded to a large grass fire north of Motley that burned an estimated 80 acres on Tuesday.

Motley Fire Chief Brad Olson tells Lakeland News that the fire started from the hot exhaust of a hunter’s car. The fire was reported around noon, and authorities considered evacuating nearby homes as the fire spread due to dry conditions and winds gusting up to 25 mph.

But evacuations were not necessary as firefighters from Motley, Pillager, and Staples, as well as DNR resources from Backus, Park Rapids, Nimrod, Little Falls, Aitkin, and Bemidji were able to bring the fire under control. Firefighters were on the scene for about six hours.

The Pillager Fire Department reports one of the fire crews also had to deal with an irate landowner who was giving the firefighters grief for being there and attempted to ram their rig. Cass County officers were quick to arrive and help the firefighters and deescalate the situation.