WOOD LAKE — Because of dry and breezy conditions, nearly all of Minnesota has been under a Red Flag Warning this week for fire danger.

The National Weather Service said extremely dry conditions and wind gusts meant heightened fire risks. Parts of southwest Minnesota had the driest September on record this year. October hasn’t brought much moisture either. As of this week, the region is in moderate to severe drought, the U.S. Drought Monitor said.

On Thursday evening, more than a dozen area fire departments were called to a field fire northeast of the city of Wood Lake. Firefighters faced dry conditions and high winds that could help a fire spread quickly, said Wood Lake Fire Chief Keith Mueller.

Firefighters, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, and area farmers all worked together to help contain the fire, Mueller said.

“The response we had was well appreciated,” Mueller said. “The farmers definitely helped us.”

The flames did not reach nearby homes, he said. One firefighter was evaluated for medical reasons, but was doing better on Friday, Mueller said.

The fire was reported around 4 p.m. Thursday, in an area near 567th Street, in Wood Lake Township. A manure spreader was working in a farm field when the fire started, Mueller said. The fire moved through the field and got into an old lake bottom area, he said.

A total of 13 area fire departments responded to the blaze. Mueller said he called in plenty of aid because Thursday’s high winds made the fire unpredictable. He said it seemed like the wind was gusting at around 50 miles per hour.

In addition to firefighters and the DNR, Mueller estimated that area residents had seven or eight tractors going with chisel plows, to help break up the soil and make barriers to the fire.

Firefighters were on scene for more than three hours, Mueller said.

High grassland fire dangers in southwest Minnesota will continue through Tuesday, the National Weather Service said. There was a chance of precipitation Friday night and Saturday morning, but then sunny conditions and temperatures into the 80s are forecast for the rest of the weekend.