Beltrami County Sheriff: 'Boaters were not staying out of the way' Sheriff Ernie Beitel said some boaters got in the way of fire fighting efforts in Beltrami County Tuesday. Author: Sharon Yoo Updated: 8:35 PM CDT July 14, 2021 BEMIDJI, Minn. — From what Beltrami County Sheriff Ernie Beitel can tell us, the fire that burned 75 to 80 acres Tuesday night in Eckles Township was a sight to behold. "The fire was reported to be on both sides of the road and it spread to the Southside," Sheriff Beitel said. "We did have a north wind that was pushing things southward, the area just south of this is a housing development area, fairly new, that is still expanding - a lot of homes in this area. As this fire quickly moved, the DNR issued a voluntary evacuation of those homes."