Northwest Iowa — A fire Wednesday in a northwest Iowa county consumed 200 acres before it was contained.
State and local officials have opened an investigation into a fire between Spencer and Dickens that led to a stretch of Highway 18 being closed for some time Monday.
Firefighters from four northwest Iowa fire departments along with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service fought the fire for about eight hours before it was knocked down. A total of 200 acres were burned, including 14 acres in the Hawk Valley Wildlife Area.
The DNR says there was no controlled burn scheduled in the area and anyone with information that could help find the cause of the fire is asked to contact authorities. Investigators believe the fire was ignited on a dead-end road that leads to the wildlife area.
