ST. PAUL – Wildfire risk might seem like a distant concern, given the flooding issues across the region, but the Department of Natural Resources on Tuesday added several northwest Minnesota counties to its listing of areas with spring burning restrictions.
Additional counties in which burning restrictions apply, in alphabetical order, are Becker, Beltrami, Cass, Clearwater, Crow Wing, Hubbard, Kittson, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, Otter Tail, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake, Roseau, Stevens and Wadena.
Elsewhere in the state, restrictions remain in place for Anoka, Benton, Chisago, Douglas, Hennepin, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Pine, Pope, Ramsey, Sherburne, Stearns, Todd, Washington and Wright counties.
The DNR will not issue permits for open burning of brush or yard waste in these counties until restrictions are lifted.
“Warm and dry conditions elevate the risk of wildfires, and restricting open burning prevents a burn pile from escaping and becoming a wildfire during times of high risk,” Allissa Reynolds, DNR wildfire prevention supervisor, said in a statement. “These restrictions really do work – they’ve helped reduce wildfires by more than 30% over the past decade.”
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Reynolds encourages residents to use alternatives to burning to dispose of yard waste, such as composting, chipping or taking brush to a collection site. For more information, visit the wildfire prevention page of the DNR website at mndnr.gov/Wildfire/Prevention.
People cause 90% of the wildfires in Minnesota. If a debris fire rekindles or escapes, the person who set it is liable for any damage caused, as well as for wildfire suppression costs.
The DNR will adjust burning restrictions as conditions change. 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 at mndnr.gov/BurnRestrictions.
