Pelican Rapids Man Injured After Tractor Rolls, Catches Fire Near Lake Lida

A man was injured after a tractor rolled onto its side and caught fire on the east side of Lake Lida near Pelican Rapids Monday evening, causing Pelican Rapids firefighters to extinguish a fully engulfed machine and prompting an Otter Tail County sheriff’s investigation. County dispatchers received reports of the blaze around 6:30 p.m., and emergency crews responded to the scene east of the lake.

Deputies at the scene said the tractor had been used to move brush when it rolled and ignited from a nearby burn pit, leaving the vehicle fully involved in flames. The Pelican Rapids Fire Department arrived and extinguished the fire; no other agencies were listed as assisting in the initial account. Officials have not released the make or ownership of the tractor.

The operator suffered burns when his leg caught fire and was taken to a hospital with injuries described as non-life-threatening. Deputies and emergency personnel have not provided a name, age, hometown, or the name of the receiving medical facility; follow-up details on the operator’s condition beyond “non-life-threatening” have not been released.

Otter Tail County deputies said the incident is under investigation. Deputies have not yet identified what caused the tractor to roll - whether terrain, equipment failure, or operator error - and they also have not said whether the nearby burn pit was a permitted or controlled burn. County dispatch logs, incident report numbers, and precise timestamps for arrival and extinguishment were not provided in the initial account.

The agencies central to the response remain the Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office, Otter Tail County dispatchers, and the Pelican Rapids Fire Department. Local officials who could clarify outstanding questions include the sheriff’s office for the investigative file and the Pelican Rapids Fire Department for scene actions and any hazardous-materials steps taken after extinguishment. County or municipal authorities can also address whether local burn permits or restrictions applied to the burn pit that deputies cited as the ignition source.

With the sheriff’s office investigating, record requests for the incident report, dispatch timeline, and any citations would provide the concrete details missing from the initial response. The Sheriff’s Office says the incident is under investigation, and residents near Lake Lida can expect updates as deputies and fire officials complete their inquiries.