Red Flag Warning Issued for Extreme Fire Risk

The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for 85 counties in Minnesota due to extreme fire danger for Thursday, October 17.

Effective 8:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m. for northwest Minnesota. Affected counties include Becker, Beltrami, Clay, Clearwater, Grant, Hubbard, Kittson, Lake Of The Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, Norman, Otter Tail, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake, Roseau, Wadena, and Wilkin.

Effective 11:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m. for central and southern Minnesota. Affected counties include Anoka, Benton, Big Stone, Blue Earth, Brown, Carver, Chippewa, Chisago, Cottonwood, Dakota, Dodge, Douglas, Faribault, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Hennepin, Houston, Isanti, Jackson, Kanabec, Kandiyohi, Lac Qui Parle, Le Sueur, Lincoln, Lyon, Martin, McLeod, Meeker, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Mower, Murray, Nicollet, Nobles, Olmsted, Pipestone, Pope, Ramsey, Redwood, Renville, Rice, Rock, Scott, Sherburne, Sibley, Stearns, Steele, Stevens, Swift, Todd, Traverse, Wabasha, Waseca, Washington, Watonwan, Winona, Wright, and Yellow Medicine.

Effective 12:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m. for northeast Minnesota. Affected counties include Aitkin, Carlton, Cass, Crow Wing, Itasca, Koochiching, Pine, and St. Louis.

A Red Flag Warning means fires can spread quickly and easily progress out of control under the predicted weather conditions, including gusty winds and low relative humidity. Do not burn in counties where a Red Flag Warning is in effect and check any recent burning to ensure the fire is completely out. The DNR will not issue or activate open burning permits for large vegetative debris burning during the Red Flag Warning, and campfires are discouraged.

Additionally, a Special Weather Statement has been issued for Cook and Lake counties in northeast Minnesota where wind and relative humidity are predicted to produce near-critical fire weather conditions. Outdoor burning is discouraged.

“When fire risk is this high it’s important to be careful with anything could spark a wildfire,” said Karen Harrison, DNR wildfire prevention specialist.

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). 

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