Brush Fires Burn 20 Acres, Destroy Home in Separate Weekend Incidents

Mar 23, 2025

*Photo of the fire near Red Wing on Saturday, March 22, 2025.* ***via*** ***KDWA Radio***

Firefighters from multiple agencies responded to two significant brush fires over the weekend.

One fire threatened multiple homes near Shoreview and another destroyed a residence and two vehicles on the Prairie Island Indian Community near Red Wing.

Just before 7 p.m. Sunday, Lake Johanna Fire was dispatched to a growing brush fire in a large open space. The first arriving engine reported rapidly advancing flames and called for additional help. The fire threatened numerous homes as it spread over more than 20 acres.

Crews from 11 agencies spent several hours containing the blaze. Air support from the DNR was not available. Investigators determined the fire was started by two children playing with matches. No injuries or structural damage were reported.

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Around 2:40 p.m. Saturday, a separate fire broke out on the Prairie Island Reservation, destroying a home and two vehicles before spreading into a nearby field. Two occupants escaped safely. No other structures were damaged, and no injuries were reported. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Responding agencies included fire departments from Red Wing, Hastings, Miesville, Cannon Falls, Randolph, Rosemount, Inver Grove Heights, and the Goodhue County Sheriff’s Office. Emergency crews cleared the scene by 7:30 p.m.

The Minnesota DNR issued a Red Flag Warning across nearly the entire state last week, including the Twin Cities, citing extreme fire danger due to warm temperatures, low humidity, and gusty winds.

“When fire risk is this high, it’s important to be careful with anything [that] could spark a wildfire,” DNR wildfire prevention specialist Karen Harrison said.

The following day, the DNR imposed open burning restrictions in metro counties such as Anoka, Hennepin, Ramsey, and Washington. Harrison noted that “wildfire danger is especially high in spring because dormant or dead vegetation from the previous year has dried out and there is no snow protection.”

The Twin Cities could see rain Sunday evening and again on Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service, offering possible temporary relief from wildfire conditions. Despite the precipitation, fire officials caution that dry spring vegetation can quickly reignite wildfire risk once conditions warm and winds return. Burning restrictions remain in place until further notice.

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