A fire fueled by strong winds extensively damaged a grain elevator in Wisconsin’s Brown County.
The fire broke out about 11:30 a.m. Sunday in Mina. Because of 40 to 45 mph winds, smaller fires caused by blowing, burning debris were ignited in fields adjacent to the structure.
Aberdeen American News says the BNSF Railway was asked to stop trains from coming through the area and traffic from Highway 12 was temporarily diverted from Mina. There were no reports of injuries.
Wisconsin natural resources officials say the danger of a wildfire igniting is high to extreme in much of the state due to warm temperatures, low humidity and gusty winds.
The Department of Natural Resources responded to 43 wildfires Sunday, including two larger fires in steep terrain in central Wisconsin’s Clark County. The agency contracted tanker planes to dose the fires that burned a total of about 125 acres in two locations. No injuries were reported and no structures were lost.
The DNR issued a ‘red flag’ warning Monday for seven counties where burning with agency-issued permits is prohibited and the public is asked to be especially careful with campfires, outdoor grills, smoking and other activities that could spark a wildfire. Those counties include Jackson, Trempealeau, Juneau, Monroe, Clark, La Crosse and Adams.
In North Dakota, a fire fanned by 40 mph winds burned 20 large hay bales near the Central Livestock yard in West Fargo. No animals were hurt and not buildings were damaged.
Fire departments from West Fargo, Harwood, Mapleton and Horace responded to the scene.
Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire. West Fargo Fire Chief Dan Fuller says there might have been a flare-up from a waste pile that was recently burned.
In Nebraska, blowing dust caused vehicles to crash on a highway in Nebraska, injuring 15 people.
The Omaha World-Herald reports that winds were gusting about 45 mph when the crash happened. Nebraska State Patrol spokesman Cody Thomas says the wind picked up dust from nearby fields and the dust reduced visibility to zero.
The crash occurred about 5:15 p.m. Sunday on Interstate 80 near York.
A 2-mile stretch of the interstate was closed until about 8 p.m.
One of the people injured was airlifted to a hospital in Lincoln. The others were taken to hospitals in York and Aurora.
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