Northfield's Dry Weather Continues; Firefighters Douse Woods Fire

As unusually dry weather conditions continued in Northfield and the rest of southern Minnesota Saturday afternoon, firefighters from the Northfield Rural Fire Department were called to extinguish a small wood fire in Greenvale Twp.

What firefighters discovered when they arrived at the scene of the 3 p.m. call—in the 4900 block of 290th Street S.—were two smoldering fires that appeared to be left unattended for some time.

A Dakota County Sheriff’s deputy who arrived at the scene a few minutes after firefighters described the fires as “recreational bonfires” set the previous night.

It didn’t take long for firefighters to douse the fires, one of which spread to an adjoining wood pile.

The region’s stretch of dry weather continued Saturday with little promise of a speedy conclusion.

The National Weather Service was calling for a 20-percent chance of showers Saturday night and Sunday, with a slight chance of rain in the forecast Monday.

Rain, or the lack of it, has been an issue in recent weeks for Northfield and most of southern Minnesota, including the Twin Cities metropolitan area. According to the National Weather Service in Chanhassen, the Twin Cities has received less than a half-inch of rain since Sept. 1, a total that's three inches less than normal.

In response to the dry condition, Rice County issued a this past Wednesday. All open or pending burning permits are suspended until the ban in lifted.