Extreme fire risk conditions: Red flag warning raised for 41 counties in Minnesota
Winds of 20 to 30 miles per hour are expected over much of Minnesota Saturday afternoon and evening, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a red flag warning starting at 1 p.m.
The warning covers 41 counties in central and southern Minnesota, including most of the Twin Cities metro area: Big Stone, Blue Earth, Brown, Carver, Chippewa, Cottonwood, Dakota, Faribault, Freeborn, Goodhue, Hennepin, Jackson, Kandiyohi, Lac Qui Parle, Le Sueur, Lincoln, Lyon, Martin, McLeod, Meeker, Murray, Nicollet, Nobles, Pipestone, Pope, Ramsey, Redwood, Renville, Rice, Rock, Scott, Sibley, Stearns, Steele, Stevens, Swift, Traverse, Waseca, Watonwan, Wright and Yellow Medicine.
According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, a red flag warning means fires can spread quickly and easily progress out of control.
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.
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“Go back and make sure those burn piles are out cold,” said Karen Harrison, wildfire prevention specialist with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. “If you feel any lingering heat, you should drown with water, stir and repeat until it is out cold. Sometimes those burn piles can stay hot for a really long time, rekindle and start a wildfire.”
When fire risk is high, Harrison added, it is important to be careful with anything that could spark a wildfire.
“This year we had very little or no snow cover across the state and we kind of went into the winter with very dry conditions in a lot of areas,” she said.
The DNR will not issue or activate open burning permits for large vegetative debris burning during the warning and campfires are discouraged.
The red flag warning expires at 8 p.m. Saturday.