Fire Weather Watch issued for 61 Minnesota counties this weekend

article

The NWS released this map Friday ahead of a fire weather watch for the weekend. This map shows the impacted counties on Sunday, May 11. (Supplied)

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The National Weather Service issued a fire weather watch for much of Minnesota this weekend.

Fire Weather Watch

The backstory:

The NWS issued a fire weather watch for Saturday and Sunday due to the high fire danger across the state. The weather this weekend, including the low humidity and winds, is expected to create near-critical fire conditions. The alert states that under these conditions, any spark can ignite a wildfire that rapidly spreads and becomes difficult to contain. 

A watch is in place from Saturday morning through Sunday evening for counties in northwest Minnesota, including Beltrami, Kittson, Lake of the Woods, Marshall and Roseau.

Sixty-one of Minnesota's 87 counties are under a fire weather watch from Sunday morning until the evening. NWS included the following counties: Aitkin, Anoka, Becker, Beltrami, Benton, Big Stone, Blue Earth, Brown, Carlton, Carver, Cass, Chippewa, Chisago, Clay, Clearwater, Cottonwood, Crow Wing, Douglas, Faribault, Grant, Hennepin, Hubbard, Isanti, Itasca, Jackson, Kandiyohi, Kanabec, Kittson, Koochiching, Lac Qui Parle, Lake Of The Woods, Le Sueur, Lincoln, Lyon, Mahnomen, Marshall, Martin, McLeod, Meeker, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Murray, Nicollet, Nobles, Norman, Otter Tail, Pennington, Pine, Pipestone, Polk, Pope, Ramsey, Red Lake, Redwood, Renville, Rock, Roseau, Scott, Sherburne, Sibley, St. Louis, Stearns, Stevens, Swift, Todd, Traverse, Wadena, Watonwan, Wilkin, Wright, and Yellow Medicine.

Fire danger and restrictions:

The Minnesota DNR said all outdoor burning is discouraged. As of Friday morning, there is no open burning allowed in northwestern Minnesota, while central and northern regions require variance permits.  

The DNR website states that on Friday, Minnesota is at a high or very high fire danger risk, meaning fires can start easily and spread at a fast or very fast rate. 

Find the latest fire danger and burning restrictions on the DNR’s website here. 

Wildfires in Minnesota 

By the numbers:

There have been at least 475 wildfires reported in Minnesota since April 1. The DNR says wildfires not only threaten property but can lead to people being injured, or even resulting in death. 

"Every year, including this year, we learn of people who have suffered serious injuries that require hospitalization — or worse, fatalities — from attempting to control a wildfire on their own," said William Glesener, wildfire operations supervisor with the DNR. "Just like a house fire, a wildfire is extremely dangerous and unpredictable and should be left to the experts to manage."

If you spot a wildfire, do not attempt to put it out yourself, but instead go to a safe location and call 911. 

Wildfire smoke outlook:

The Minnesota Pollution and Control Agency issued its 2025 summer air quality and wildfire forecast on Monday. The state is expected to have between 12 and 16 days impacted by wildfire smoke. 

The risk is driven by drought-stressed vegetation across the region and heightened wildfire activity in Canada. Furthermore, an El Niño Southern Oscillation pattern may lead to more variable wind patterns, making it more likely that the smoke will drift into the state.