Minnesota wildfire risk called ‘critical’ as weather service issues watch

A burst of summer-like warmth combined with low humidity expected this weekend has raised the risk of wildfires, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a fire watch for a large portion of Minnesota.

Federal and state agencies have raised their wildfire preparedness, bringing in extra resources from outside the state.

The Department of Natural Resources wildfire operations supervisor said the fire danger in Minnesota currently is “critical.”

Two helicopter tankers, a dozen engines and a bulldozer have been brought in from other states to help if needed, William Glesener said. The tankers will anchor in Brainerd and Ely as part of preparation by the Minnesota Interagency Fire Center in Grand Rapids, which coordinates multiple state and federal agencies.

“We are well ahead of normal [for spring] in terms of number of fires and number of acres,” he added.

There have been 475 reported wildfires since April 1, according to the DNR, with most human-caused. Fires have burned more than 10,000 acres. The five- to 10-year average is about 3,000 acres in April.

The state of fuels is as much a concern as the weather, Glesener said. Some grassland in marshes or under trees is already dry, and parts of the state have yet to green up.

Winds gusting as high as 25 mph to 35 mph will accompany temperatures predicted to soar near 90 degrees on Sunday, setting the stage for any fires that develop to spread rapidly, the Weather Service said.

“Outdoor burning is not recommended,” the Weather Service said in its advisory. “Fires could quickly spread out of control due to these conditions.”

There have been 20 reported wildfires across the state in the past day, according to a posting on the DNR website.

The watch covers the entire metro area and the rest of the state except for southeastern Minnesota and Lake and Cook counties in far northeastern Minnesota. In those two counties, the Weather Service issued a hazardous weather outlook for “near-critical fire conditions.”

The advisory covers 61 of the state’s 87 counties and comes as thousands head out for the state’s fishing opener on Saturday.

A record could also be tied or fall in St. Cloud where the forecast calls for 90 degrees on Sunday. The record is 90 degrees set in 1900 and 1911. Other marks could be broken or tied in Willmar, Redwood Falls, and Alexandria, according to National Weather Service records.

Hot, dry and windy weather is expected to continue into Monday and Tuesday, with additional watches and warnings possible, the Weather Service said.

“Listen for later forecasts and possible Red Flag Warnings,“ the Weather Service said.

With few chances for rain until Wednesday, drought conditions could worsen across Minnesota.

As of Thursday, two counties in far northwestern Minnesota, all or parts of seven counties in southwestern Minnesota and a swath stretching from Itasca County in north central Minnesota southwest to Traverse County on the South Dakota border were experiencing moderate drought conditions, according to the latest report from the U.S. Drought Monitor.