BALATON — A total of nine area fire departments, as well as a helicopter from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, battled a grass fire near Balaton on Tuesday afternoon.

Around 280 to 300 acres of land, including both wildlife area and some private conservation acres, were estimated to have burned, said Balaton Fire Chief Kasey Holm.

The Balaton Fire Department has responded to a couple “pretty big” grass fires this spring, Holm said.

“It’s so dry,” he said.

Part of what made Tuesday’s fire difficult to respond to was that it was in wetland areas that were hard to access, Holm said.

The fire was reported in an area near Lyon County Road 7, about a mile south of U.S. Highway 14, Holm said. The cause of the fire was undetermined, but the area was not undergoing a controlled burn, he said.

The fire did get into a farm grove, but there was no damage to homes, Holm said. However, an electric pole was damaged by the fire, and a train traveling on the Canadian Pacific railroad line in the area was stopped while responders fought the fire.

A DNR helicopter based out of Willmar also flew to pour water on part of the fire.

“It helped contain the north end of the fire,” Holm said.

In addition to the Balaton Fire Department, the Tracy, Walnut Grove, Garvin, Slayton, Russell, Tyler, Lynd and Marshall Fire Departments responded at the scene. Responders also included the Minnesota DNR and Fisheries, the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office and Tracy Ambulance.