This area has experienced several harrowing and memorable wildfires, including the Badoura Fire, which broke out during the severe 1976 drought after smoke was spotted from the Nimrod Fire Tower on September 7 and spread rapidly despite ground and air crews, eventually burning 23,000 acres before more than 550 firefighters, foresters, National Guard troops, and volunteers brought it under control; the Barrows Fire, a fast-moving blaze south of Brainerd on May 31, 2002, burned 720 acres as it raced eastward from the Mississippi River across Minnesota Highway 371 near Barrows, sent flames more than 100 feet high, threatened 60 homes and more than 100 buildings, and was contained without injuries by more than 200 firefighters and other responders; and the Green Valley Fire, which started near Menagha on May 15, 2013, burned 7,100 acres at the junction of Hubbard, Wadena, and Becker Counties, destroyed 12 homes, 43 outbuildings, and 3 commercial structures, threatened 158 structures, and drew a large response of aircraft, engines, dozers, trucks, tracked vehicles, helicopters, and firefighters whose efforts saved many homes and structures.