Firefighters from Griswold and Grant were called to the scene of a fire that spread to a small shed Wednesday afternoon, about 2.5-miles north of Grant. Griswold Fire Chief Andy Steffen told KJAN News the call from 62222 Yankton Road came in at around 2:13-p.m. Steffen said a telephone company repair or installation crew were the first to notice the blaze and notified the homes’ resident. They told her she needed to call 9-1-1.

Steffen said open burning and later wind conditions was the likely cause of the fire. He said a female resident at the home was burning boxes in the open earlier in the day. Embers from the fire were whipped up by the winds and caught some leaves on fire. The blaze spread to a nearby small shed containing wood. The fire then proceeded around the building before spreading to a grassy area. Steffen said if they had arrived any later then they did, the fire could have spread to a nearby machine shed. An area about 100-feet long and 40-feet wide was scorched by the flames.

Firefighters from Grant equipped with two tanker trucks and a grass unit helped Griswold crews get the flames under control within about an hour. Steffen says residents in the area need to be cautious with outdoor burning, because conditions are extremely dry. He says if you must burn outdoors, use a barrel with a cover on it. The dry conditions and a strong wind will cause fires to spread rapidly.

He didn’t rule out the possibility of a Burn Ban for Cass County, after speaking with Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Kennon. He said Kennon has probably spoken with other area fire chiefs as well. Steffen said a ban may be needed to prevent any catastrophes.

There were no injuries reported during Wednesday’s firefighting efforts.