Grass fires sparked near Cloquet skatepark

The Cloquet Area Fire District responded to two grass fires near the Cloquet skatepark on Monday, July 26, according to a news release.

The incident was initially reported as a single fire, but upon arrival crews found two separate blazes on a field at the park: one near the baseball field and one near the playground.

The fires were quickly extinguished and resulted in no injuries or damages, the news release said. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the Cloquet Police Department assisted at the scene.

The cause of the fires is currently under investigation, and CAFD would like to remind community members that abnormal dry conditions in the area pose a high risk for grass and wildfires, the news release said.

RELATED: Carlton, Aitkin counties now under burning restrictions The Minnesota DNR has expanded burning restrictions to more counties to prevent wildfires.

"One unintentional spark in these conditions could be all it takes to ignite a grass/wildfire," said Sarah Buhs, public education coordinator for CAFD, in the news release.

As of Tuesday, July 27, burning restrictions have been placed on Carlton County, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources announced.

This year, more than 1,600 wildfires have burned more than 35,000 acres in Minnesota, according to the DNR.