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Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - At least two rural Olmsted County property owners were cited over the weekend for burning without a permit after causing wildfires.

Sheriff's Office Captain Scott Behrns says the first incident occurred shortly after 1 PM on Saturday in New Haven Township in the 11,000 block of 110th Avenue Northwest. A 75-year-old man was burning items on his property when the flames got away from him and the Pine Island Fire Department had to respond to extinguish the fire. He was ticketed for not having a permit.

Around 4 PM Saturday, a 39-year-old man lost control of a small fire at his property in the 700 block of Windemere Court in Oronoco. Behrens says gusty winds caused the fire to spread to a nearby building before Pine Island firefighters were able to put out the flames.

A third fire was reported Sunday around 1 PM in the 11000 block of County Road 10 Southeast in Elmira Township. Captain Behrns says a 67-year-old man burning brush and other items was cited for burning without a permit after his fire also spread and required a response by the Stewartville and Chatfield Fire Departments.

Behrens says the risk for fast-growing wildfires remains very high throughout southeastern Minnesota. He says extreme caution needs to be exercised with any fire.

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