CLAY COUNTY, MINN. (KFGO) – Firefighters from Dilworth, Glyndon, and Moorhead battled a grain dryer fire in bitterly cold conditions at a farm 10 miles north of Dilworth early Monday. Those types of fires have been happening often lately as farmers are using the dryers for long periods, drying out their crops as a result of recent wet weather.
Clay County Sheriff Mark Empting says it appeared fire crews had the fire out but it re-ignited and equipment had to be brought in plow out snow to get closer to where the fire was at. The Salvation Army used one of its trailers to help frozen firefighters warm up.
Empting says wind chills were hovering around 20 below, which can also create an exposure risk for firefighters and big problems for firefighting equipment that can freeze up quickly.
Empting says the fire was at the site of a large shop that was destroyed by fire in early November.