A firefighter was seriously injured while fighting a wildfire in northern Iowa on Wednesday.
Below are excerpts from Explore Okoboji:
It took firefighters from seven area fire departments as well as a firefighting unit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service several hours to extinguish a massive fire late Wednesday afternoon and evening in the Spring Run complex east of Arnolds Park. Spirit Lake Fire Chief Pat Daly tells KUOO news his department was the first to arrive on the scene.
Daly says the blaze became so large and wind driven that it actually jumped a road.
One firefighter was seriously injured battling the blaze. He’s been identified as Jim Nygaard of the Superior Fire Department. Nygaard was transported by ambulance to Lakes Regional Healthcare and was transferred by air to a burn unit at a Twin Cities hospital. Information on his condition and extent of injuries wasn’t immediately available. KUOO news has learned a tractor Nygaard was using to help put out the blaze caught on fire.