Red Flag Warning Begins at 11:00 a.m.

The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for 31 counties in central, southwest, and southeast?Minnesota effective Thursday, April 13,?due to extreme fire risk conditions.

Red Flag from 11 a.m. through 8 p.m.

Affected counties include:?Anoka, Blue Earth, Brown, Carver, Cottonwood, Dakota, Faribault, Freeborn, Goodhue, Hennepin, Jackson, Le Sueur, Martin, Nicollet, Nobles, Ramsey, Rice, Rock, Scott, Sibley, Steele, Waseca, Washington, and Watonwan.

Red Flag from 12 p.m. through 8 p.m.

Affected counties include Dodge, Filmore, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Wabasha, and Winona.

A Red Flag Warning means fires can spread quickly and easily progress out of control under the current?weather conditions, including low humidity, gusty winds, and warm temperatures.?Residents should not burn in those counties where a Red Flag Warning is in effect and should check any recent burning they may have done to ensure the fire is completely out. The DNR will not issue or activate open burning permits during the Red Flag Warning, and campfires are discouraged.?

?Any spark could become a wildfire under Red Flag conditions,? said Allissa Reynolds, DNR wildfire prevention supervisor.?

Red Flag Warnings are evolving situations.? Visit the National Weather Service, (weather.gov) for updates.??

For more information and daily updates on current fire risk and open burning restrictions, visit the statewide fire danger and burning restrictions page of the DNR website (mndnr.gov/burnrestrictions).