Wildfire warning issued for 9 counties in Minnesota

The National Weather Service has issued a wildfire warning for areas of north-central and northeast Minnesota. 

The alert is due to extreme fire risk conditions in the counties of Aitkin, Beltrami, Carlton, Cook, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake, Lake of the Woods and St. Louis. The so-called red flag warning means the area is experiencing critical weather conditions that are ideal for wildfire, including strong winds and low humidity. Officials say any spark could become a wildfire under such circumstances. 

The warning is set to expire at 6 p.m. Sunday.