After swamp fire, officials warn Minnesotans to use caution when burning

Updated: 1:40 p.m. | Posted: 7:47 a.m.

Investigators are examining the site of a large swamp fire near Maple Plain which closed Highway 12 Sunday evening.

Firefighters from nine agencies responded to the smoldering fire in a swamp filled with cattails and brush northwest of Maple Plain.

Fire conditions are not as bad as last year at this time, but the Minnesota Interagency Fire Center's public information officer, Christi Powers, says people should still be cautious about burning outside. She says people wanting to burn brush or debris should go to the DNR website to get a burning permit.

"And they can activate a permit online if the weather conditions are right," she said. "If they aren't, then burning permits will be deactivated for the day or a certain period of time. So that's really important for the public to bear in mind."

Powers says the Arrowhead region in the northeast is dryer than the rest of the state, and people should be particularly careful over the next two to three weeks.

"It could turn around and be less sluggish than it's been, but we are just keeping an eye on things and asking folks to be careful," she said.