All fire departments in Carver County, the St. Bonifacius Fire Department and the Department of Natural Resources fought an 85-acre grass fire Sunday afternoon in Laketown Township at Airport Road.

A Carver County deputy called in the fire at approximately 3:16 p.m. after seeing smoke in the area. Since the area is in the Waconia Fire District, the Waconia Fire Department was the first on the scene.

Waconia Fire Chief Randy Sorensen called for mutual aid from 11 additional fire departments soon after arriving and evaluating the scope of the fire.

“Then the wind picked up and fanned the fire,” Sorensen said.

Firefighters evacuated a family from a home on the north side of the swamp. They wetted down the home and a propane tank that faced the swamp in a defensive move, Sorensen said. ATVs and six-wheelers were brought in to help firefighters access burning areas.

The DNR also provided firefighting assistance with a helicopter that dropped water on less accessible areas.

Carver County Sheriff’s Office deputies were on the scene, and closed a nearby road due to the high number of onlookers. Ridgeview Medical Center was on hand also, providing relief aid to firefighters.

According to Chief Tim Walsh of the Victoria Fire Department, fighting a grass fire in swampy areas made it challenging.

“The problem is that the top is dry and that’s what’s burning, but underneath, it’s soggy, making it hard to move around.”

The fire departments were released at about 8 p.m., Sorensen said. There were no injuries or lost structures or valuable trees.