Dickens, IA (KICD)– Fire Officials and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources have opened an investigation to determine what started a wildfire between Spencer and Dickens Tuesday afternoon that led to a stretch of Highway 18 being closed for some time.

Dickens Fire Chief Randy Whalen says his team along with crews from Spencer, Ruthven, Webb, the DNR and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service spent around eight hours knocking down the flames that are believed to have ignited on a dead end road leading to the Hawk Valley Wildlife Area.

The cause of the fire is currently unknown and anyone with information is asked to contact the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.

DNR Wildlife Technician Lucas Straw says the blaze was not started by his agency since there is no plan to do a burn in that area this area and that protocol would have prevented such a burn on Tuesday because of weather conditions.

In total, 200 acres were burned, fourteen of which were on state ground and the rest on private property.