May 9—GRAND FORKS — The National Weather Service has issued a fire weather watch for Saturday and Sunday in parts of the region because of extremely warm temperatures, strong winds and low relative humidity in the forecast.
In a statement Friday morning, the NWS said Saturday’s fire weather watch includes Kittson, Roseau, Lake of the Woods, east Marshall and north Beltrami counties.
Sunday morning , the fire weather watch expands to include west Polk, Norman, Clay, west Marshall, Pennington, Red Lake, east Polk, north Clearwater, south Beltrami, Mahnomen, south Clearwater, Hubbard, west Becker, east Becker, Wilkin, west Otter Tail, east Otter Tail, Wadena and Grant counties in northwestern and western Minnesota.
In eastern North Dakota, fire watch conditions are in effect Sunday for Towner, Cavalier, Pembina, Benson, Ramsey, Eastern Walsh, Eddy, Nelson, Grand Forks, Griggs, Steele, Traill, Barnes, Cass, Ransom, Sargent, Richland and western Walsh counties, the NWS said.
The fire weather watch, which means critical fire weather conditions are forecast to occur, remains in effect for the affected areas through Sunday evening.
South winds of 10 to 20 mph are forecast for Saturday, increasing to 15 to 30 mph, with gusts up to 45 mph, on Sunday. Relative humidity is forecast to be as low as 23% on Saturday and 18% on Sunday.
“Any fires that ignite will spread rapidly and become difficult to control,” the NWS said. “Outdoor burning is not recommended.
“Check local burn bans, do not idle vehicles in dry grasses, and monitor the forecast.”
In Minnesota, the Department of Natural Resources on Friday morning said nearly all of the state will be under a fire weather watch on Sunday.
“In these conditions, any spark can start a wildfire that spreads quickly and gets out of control,” the DNR said. “The DNR will not issue or activate permits for the open burning of brush or yard waste in areas with spring burning restrictions in place or when a red flag warning is in effect.”
Friday’s fire danger announcement from the NWS came as people in some parts of the region woke up to dense smoke. In an update Friday morning, the NWS said the smoke results from several wildfires that developed across eastern Saskatchewan and western Manitoba on Thursday afternoon. The smoke reached northwest Minnesota Friday morning and will move southeast throughout the day before dissipating.
While unseasonably warm temperatures remain in the short-term forecast, there’s a cooldown on the horizon later into May. According to WDAY meteorologist Lynda Blume, “things will start to shift a little bit” in the second half of May.
“It’s unlikely that we hit the freezing point again, but our temperatures do just even out a little bit more as we enter the later portions of May,” Blume said during a broadcast on Thursday, May 8. “That will also bring in some rain chances. Right now, mostly dry as we head into the weekend and the following week, but as we get into the middle to late parts of May, that’s when things start to shift a little bit, not only with the cooldown, but some rain chances too.”
In the meantime, fire awareness is crucial. Any heat source can spark a wildfire, the Minnesota DNR said, offering these tips for reducing fire danger:
* Make sure trailer chains are secured and off the ground, so they don’t drag and throw sparks.
* Park on gravel or pavement whenever possible. Hot engines and exhausts can start dry grass on fire.
* If yard work is in your plans, stay alert. Tractors, lawnmowers, weed whips, and other equipment all produce enough heat to spark dry leaves or grass.
* If you’re enjoying a shore lunch, keep your fire small, not tall. Watch over your fire at all times and make sure it is out cold before you leave. Pour lots of water on the fire and stir. Feel with the back of your hand. If it’s too hot to touch, it’s too hot to leave. Drown all the embers with water again, not just the red ones, until the hissing sound stops.
Red flag warnings are evolving situations. Visit the
National Weather Service
at
for updates.
For more information and daily updates on current fire risk and open burning restrictions in Minnesota, visit the
statewide fire danger and burning restrictions page of the DNR website
at
. To receive text updates on current wildfire risk and open burning restrictions in Minnesota text “FIRE” to 66468.