A large pine tree burst into flame on a wooded lot just off Jackson Street Friday night.
The Brainerd Fire Department responded to the fire behind the Brainerd Dispatch just before 9:30 p.m.
Off-duty Brainerd firefighter Todd Johnson was driving with his family eastbound on Jackson Street just after 9:15 p.m. when Johnson's wife Krista noticed a small fire beneath the pine tree.
The family circled the block and Johnson swung into action while the tree became fully engulfed. He quickly put on his firefighting gear and attempted to stomp out the fire in the grass surrounding the tree while 10 other firefighters made their way to the scene. The Brainerd Police Department also responded.
The crew extinguished the fire as a light snow began to fall. The grass beneath the tree was scorched in a circular pattern. Firefighters doused the pine tree and kept the fire from spreading.
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The fire department reported the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
