RUSSELL — Four area fire departments worked to put out a large grass fire south of Russell on Tuesday night.

Russell Assistant Fire Chief Brad Hodges said there were no injuries reported in the fire. However, he said firefighters did do some backburning to help protect a farm place nearby.

Hodges said the fire was reported north of Rock Lake, in an area with conservation land and wetlands. A firefighter who lived in the area saw and called in the fire, Hodges said. The Russell, Balaton, Lynd and Tyler Fire Departments all responded to the scene.

“We’re fortunate to have all the departments working together like they do,” Hodges said. He said the grass fire stretched across a section of land. Areas of wetland made it harder to get to and stop the fire, he said. He estimated firefighters were on the scene for about four hours Tuesday evening.

“We reached out to the DNR to get a helicopter,” Hodges said. However, it was too windy for the helicopter to operate at the fire scene.

It’s not known what started the grass fire, Hodges said. Dry conditions in the area this spring increased fire risks. “Things are starting to green up now,” he said, which helps reduce the risk. But there was still a need for caution.

A Red Flag warning will be in effect in the region on Thursday, the National Weather Service said. Winds of 25 to 35 miles per hour and relative humidity as low as 15% are forecast in southwest Minnesota, which means any fire that develops could spread quickly.

The NOAA Satellite and Information Service said dust storms were reported in parts of the Midwest on Tuesday, that were caused by a powerful low pressure system with winds gusting 40 to 50 miles per hour. The system kicked up dust and dirt, and led to blowing dust advisories for low visibility.

The National Weather Service’s storm reports website did not show reports of high wind gusts in southwest Minnesota on May 12. However, gusts of 40 to 50 miles per hour were reported in many locations in eastern South Dakota and close to the Minnesota border. On Tuesday afternoon, the Ortonville airport reported a 46 mile-per-hour wind gust. A weather station in Deuel County, S.D., also reported gusts of 45 miles per hour.

Hodges said blowing dust wasn’t one of the challenges facing area firefighters Tuesday night. There was a lot of grass and vegetation in the area around the fire, which meant less exposed soil to blow around. However, he said smoke caused problems for visibility.