A grass fire along the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad tracks brought out a rapid response last Friday evening from the Staples Volunteer Fire Department. Firefighters were called out about 5:45 p.m. and spent about an hour putting out the fire that stretched for about a mile along County Road 7. It was believed that sparks from a passing freight train were starting the fires in the dry grass. The entire northern half of Minnesota is under a ‘very high’ fire danger rating with no burning permits being issued by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Conditions are nearly identical to April 20, 1980, 30 years ago when the Philbrook-Motley fire burned some 5,000 acres in Villard Township, destroying buildings at numerous farmsteads and nearly causing the evacuation of Motley residents from the city. (Staples World photo by Brenda Halvorson)