Firefighter Injured In Skidloader Fire

A firefighter was hurt while helping to put out a vehicle fire near Melrose on Saturday. The Stearns County Sheriff's Office says at about 2:10 p.m. they received a call reporting a skid steer loader on fire at 35992 County Road 13 and that the loader was next to some corn stalk bails. The Melrose Fire Department was dispatched and once on the scene, the sheriff's office says they found the skid loader on fire and began to put it out. During their efforts to put out the fire, a bail fell and injured one of the firefighters, 46-year-old Angel Vargas of Melrose. Vargas was taken to Melrose Hospital with unknown injuries. Authorities say the fire started at the back of the skid steer while it was moving the bails and it was extinguished without further incident.