Red Flag Warnings in Effect Today to the West and North

(KNSI) – The National Weather Service says parts of central and western Minnesota face extreme fire risk today.

A red flag warning will be in effect from noon until sunset at 9:00 p.m. The nearest county affected is Todd to the west. The full list includes Becker, Beltrami, Big Stone, Cass, Chippewa, Clay, Clearwater, Cook, Crow Wing, Douglas, Grant, Hubbard, Itasca, Kittson, Koochiching, Lac Qui Parle, Lake, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, Norman, Otter Tail, Pennington, Polk, Pope, Red Lake, Roseau, St Louis County, Stevens, Swift, Todd, Traverse, Wadena, Wilkin, and Yellow Medicine.

The warning means fires can quickly rage out of control thanks to a combination of unfavorable weather conditions, such as high winds, low humidity, and heat. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources burn permits are halted until the red flag alerts subside. New applications will not be accepted.

The DNR currently lists Benton, Sherburne, Stearns, and Wright Counties as high risk for fire danger. That’s the third level on a five-stage scale. The agency says high risk means “fires start easily and spread at a fast rate.”

The red flag counties are under extreme risk, according to the DNR. Extreme risk describes areas where “the fire situation is explosive and can result in extensive property damage.”

___