(Spirit Lake)– Open burning is being banned until further notice in Clay and Dickinson counties.
The Clay County Fire Chiefs Association announced earlier today (Monday) it requested and was granted a ban by the State Fire Marshal’s Office. It went into effect at 8:30 this (Mon.) morning and will remain in effect until further notice.
Dickinson County Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Ehret announced a short time ago this (Mon.) afternoon that a ban on open burning is also being implemented in Dickinson county, effective at 3:00 p.m. today (Mon.). It will remain in effect until further notice.
Continued above normal temperatures coupled with extremely dry conditions are causing a very high fire danger. Added to that is the wind which is expected to increase out of the south the next few days.
Farmers in the fields harvesting and anyone else planning to be outdoors should use extreme caution. Farmers are urged to have fire extinguishers on their equipment and to make they are fully charged. They are also encouraged to keep tillage equipment nearby.
No rain is in the forecast until atleast Friday. Temperatures are expected to be well into the 80’s for daytime highs the next several days, with very low humidity, adding to the fire danger.
The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for most of the region Tuesday and Wednesday, meaning the potential for grassland fires will be extremely high.
