BECKER COUNTY, Minn. - A helicopter clipped a power line on the north side of Pelican Lake, downing the line and causing a grass fire that took about an hour to extinguish, Audubon Fire Chief Chris Wiedenmeyer said Tuesday, Aug. 30.
The helicopter was spraying potato fields by County Highway 20 near the Becker and Otter Tail County line when it hit the power line. When the line hit the ground, it started a grass fire that grew to about an acre, Wiedenmeyer said.
The helicopter reported the fire to Otter Tail County dispatch, which relayed the message to Becker County, Wiedenmeyer said. The pilot was apparently not injured, he said.
The helicopter pilot then left the scene and continued his flight, Wiedenmeyer said.
Nine men from the Audubon Volunteer Fire Department responded with a fire truck and a grass fire rig, Wiedenmeyer said.
