ABOVE: A look at a large portion of open water on Hall Lake across from Ambiance on Albion in Fairmont.

FAIRMONT – With three ice fall-throughs since Friday Feb. 7, local officials are saying the ice conditions this year are unlike any before across all lakes.

The first incident happened on Fox Lake at 3 a.m., Feb. 7 when an ATV went partly through. All participants made it off the lake safely and called it in at 8 a.m.

The next day, an ATV went through Hall Lake at around 2:30 p.m. Then on Tuesday, Feb. 11 at around 4:30, p.m. an SUV went into an ice heave crack and had to be pulled out.

There were no reported injuries in all incidents. The Fox Lake ATV and Hall Lake SUV were recovered, but the Hall Lake ATV will need to be pulled out by the South Central Volunteer Dive Team on Saturday.

Martin County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Clinton Cole said there are generally only a couple of incidents per year. To have three in the span of five days, on top of the other incidents that have happened throughout winter, is extremely uncommon.

“We are lucky no one has gotten hurt,” Cole said. “We never have them this frequently.”

Sommer Outdoors Owner Justin Sommer said in his 40 years around Fairmont lakes, he has never seen the lakes freeze as unevenly as this year.

“Normally we would have two feet of ice and right now we’re only at 13-15 inches in most areas,” he said. “Ice is inconsistent, it can be 15 inches in one place and then open with the next step you take.”

While the ice thickness varies to such a degree, Sommer said it is difficult to tell on the surface. He said it is essential people always check the ice when and wherever they go out.

“Ice conditions change overnight,” Sommer said. “It’s not like you can pinpoint them, that’s why it’s so important for people to check themselves. Draw a hole and measure the ice thickness.”

In addition to difficulties judging thickness, Sommer said the snowfall has made finding cracks in the ice difficult.

“Ice plates are floating above the water and shifting to cause cracks. When they press together they can cause heaves which can shoot ice shards up and create visible lines. Then they can pull apart, creating open water.”

Open water has also been a concern, as it stays open for longer periods despite freezing temperatures.

“There is open water from Ambiance to the south side of Hall, that’s a whole side,” Sommer said. “There is also open water from Ambiance to the west side of Hall. It’s not just Hall Lake either, this can happen in the other lakes. This is happening all over the state.”

Conditions should always be checked before and during ice fishing or other ice activities. Ice should never be treated as 100 percent safe, but Sommer said as long as proper precautions are taken people should have no problems ice fishing.

The South Central Volunteer Dive Team, which covers Martin, Watonwan, Cottonwood and Jackson counties and has the capability to go further, has had its busiest winter ever according to Dive Team Leader Jamie Nelsen. He said they have seen one major factor.

“Most of the stuff we’ve had has been caused by ice heaves, which open the lakes and openings are not freezing over,” Nelsen said. “We’ve been trying to figure it out and it’s baffled us as to why. They make it a lot more difficult if something goes in there because that’s the weakest part of the lake. Those slabs are around 1,000 pounds. If one of them shifts on us wrong, one of us can be crushed.”

This team, which is pulling out the Hall Lake ATV, has specialized equipment designed to work with or without ice on the lake. Nelsen said as long as they can get to it, they can get it out.

Nelsen said there are several precautions to take before going on the ice.

“Know the lake,” he said. “Know where there are problems. If you don’t know, go to the bait shop. They will know. Always carry a life jacket, and have it on in case you go through. Unless you are going to check thoroughly, I would not drive on the lakes. Always check ice conditions if you are walking on the ice.”

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Ice Safety Coordinator Nicole Biagi said current, water depth, wind and vegetation can cause ice thickness variations. Regarding the issues Fairmont lakes are having, she said every lake is different but there are some universal causes.

“Snow insulates the ice and slows down how fast ice forms,” Biagi said. “Current and wind can have an impact on that. If there’s more wind, that can create wave action which could deteriorate current ice and slow down ice formation.”

When going out on the ice, Biagi recommends having a safety plan and always preparing for a possible self-rescue.

“It is imperative to talk to local experts about conditions,” she said.

Lake information and incidents are posted to the Sommer Outdoors Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/sommeroutdoors/. Martin County Sheriff’s Office will also post information and warnings on https://www.facebook.com/martincountysheriff.