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Pella Fire Department, Pella Rural Fire Department and the Marion County Sheiff’s Office all responded to a field fire shortly after noon Friday. Recent dry conditions and substantial winds likely contributed to the blaze that occurred just north and east of the Vermeer Campus in the area around 250th and Adams Avenues. The cause of the fire was attributed to heat from a catalytic converter igniting dry corn stalks. The Fire Department, along with help from farmers in the field, were able to put out the fire before it could reach crops in an adjacent field.

The field fire is a good reminder of how dangerous the conditions are right now, which is why a burn ban is in effect for the City of Knoxville and rural Marion County. Knoxville Police Chief Dan Losada and Marion County Sheriff Ron Goemaat say that the ban will be enforced, and everyone needs to be very careful. The weather for Saturday calls for highs in the upper 80s and dry, windy conditions, with gusts up to 37 miles per hour. Check knia/krls.com throughout the weekend for the latest on the burn ban.

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