DNR reminder: be careful this fall when burning

Fire danger continues to increase in northwestern Minnesota. Dry and moderate drought conditions exist in portions of Polk, Red Lake, Pennington, Mahnomen, Clearwater and Beltrami counties.

“Warm weather, killing frosts and multiple days of windy conditions have elevated fire danger,” said Dan Carroll, DNR Bemidji Area fire prevention forester. “Peat is also igniting, requiring significant mop up efforts.”

Carroll reminds landowners that they are responsible for supervising their fires until they are out cold. This can require checking fires multiple times over multiple days after they are lit.

Burning permits are required to burn vegetative debris and agricultural fields when there is less than 3 inches of snow on the ground. Citizens should know the burning restrictions for their county, and check the weather forecast, before lighting a fire.

Burning permit activations may be restricted when weather conditions allow fires to spread at uncontrollable rates.

Current information on statewide fire danger and burning restrictions is available on the DNR website at www.mndnr.gov/forestry/fire and by calling your local DNR Forestry office.

Burning permits are available online, from local fire wardens or at local DNR Forestry offices.