Faribault Fire Chief Recommends No Brush Burning Following Shed F

Dustin Dienst, Faribault Fire Chief told KDHL AM Minnesota listeners today they probably should wait until snow is on the ground before burning any brush. It's extremely dry.

Dienst says at 9:15 p.m. last night (Sunday, October 16, 2022) his department was joined by Rice County Sheriff's Deputies and North Memorial in response to a structure fire at 26525 Cabot Avenue in Walcott Township.

The structure was fully engulfed in flames when they arrived.

A passerby discovered the fire and alerted the owners who were in the house on the property.

Dienst says, "Firefighters took a defense posture and protected the nearby house. Medford Fire was contacted to assist with water supply."

Several grass fires and a brush fire had to be extinguished also.

"The building and it's contents were destroyed along with a fish house that was near the shed. A garage attached to the home suffered minor heat damage."

Crews cleared the scene at 11:20 p.m.

The Faribault Fire Department worked with the property owner to determine a cause.

Walcott Shed Fire. Photo by Gordy Kosfeld

Dienst says, "Due to the extent of damage the State Fire Marshal's Office was contacted to assist with the investigation which is on-going."

He told AM Minnesota listeners the cause may never be known for sure and commented in his News Release, "No one was hurt and firefighters did a great job of protecting the home. Dry conditions and strong winds created issues for firefighters to deal with."

The Fire Chief does not have the authority to order a burning ban. Only the Sheriff or the DNR can make that designation.

The shed was new because the previous one was destroyed by the 2018 tornadoes that moved through the area.

Faribault Fire Chief Dustin Dienst on AM Minnesota October 17, 2022. Photo by Gordy Kosfeld

BRRRR: The 15 Coldest Cities in America

You live here. You know how cold it gets, and by now you're probably used to it, but you should probably brace yourself because the National Weather Service issued a La Niña advisory last month and said, "La Niña winters in the southern tier of the US tend to be warmer and drier, while the northern tier and Canada tend to be even colder.

The list below is from Niche. They put together their list of the coldest cities in the county by looking at which ones had "the coldest average low temperatures during the winter months." Keep scrolling to see the 15 coldest cities in the United States.