With warm temps and little rain, wildfire risk is high in Minnesota

Risk of wildfire is very high across the state this first week of October, with areas of northwestern and northeastern Minnesota experiencing extreme wildfire risk.

The National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning for 39 Minnesota counties on Monday, Sept. 30, meaning conditions were ripe for rapidly spreading fires.

DNR wildfire prevention specialist Karen Harrison said above-average temperatures and below-average precipitation levels have led to an abundance of dry vegetation that can quickly turn a small spark into a wildfire.

“And in weather like this, higher wind gusts that we're seeing, those embers can be carried over a mile away. So we don't want to have any of those large fires burning," Harrison said. "We're really discouraging campfires now, too, just because of how extreme it is, especially in northwest and northeast Minnesota.”

Debris-burning permits are not issued under Red Flag Warnings, but Harrison said other activities can create wildfires.

“Anytime a metal is hitting a rock, for example — so if you're out mowing your lawn, or if you're doing some agricultural work, that can also create a spark that starts a fire in dry grass," she said.

"If you're out enjoying your ATV [all-terrain vehicle] or OHV [off-highway vehicle] on the trails right now, we're asking people to try to park on gravel or pavement whenever possible, because those exhaust systems get really hot and that can ignite the dry grass as well.”

With little rain in the forecast and some drought conditions returning, fire danger will likely remain high until snow is on the ground.

As of Tuesday, the 32-acre Wood Lake Fire in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is 50% contained. The Superior National Forest recently updated its fire closure area maps, with most closures remaining on the northeastern side of Wood Lake.

Also on Tuesday, the BWCAW is under an emergency forest order, restricting the use of campfires, grills and stoves.

“We have seen warmer and dryer conditions across much of the Superior National Forest, especially within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. We want the recreating public to be safe as they enjoy the Forest,” stated Tom Hall, Superior National Forest supervisor in a news release.