Red Flag Warning Issued for Extreme Fire Danger Across Minnesota Saturday

Karen Harrison had one message for anyone in Otter Tail County with Saturday burning plans: don't. "Any spark could become a wildfire under Red Flag Warning conditions," said the DNR wildfire prevention specialist as a Red Flag Warning blanketed 72 Minnesota counties, Perham's Otter Tail County among them.

The National Weather Service issued the warning effective Saturday, March 28, citing temperatures near 60 degrees, southwest winds of 25 to 35 mph with gusts reaching 45 mph, and relative humidity that dropped to around 15 percent. The NWS set the window from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. CDT, with any fire during those hours expected to spread rapidly and grow out of control.

The Minnesota DNR suspended open burning permits statewide for the duration of the warning and discouraged campfires outright. Anyone who had been burning in recent days was told to confirm coals were completely cold before walking away from them.

The hazard reached well beyond the fire pit. The DNR flagged three common activities that push sparks into dry vegetation: trailer chains dragging on the ground, ATVs parked on dry grass rather than on gravel or pavement, and running chainsaws during warning hours. Under 15 percent humidity with gusts pushing 45 mph, any of those scenarios carries serious risk.

The warning stretched from the Twin Cities metro across central, south, and west-central Minnesota, covering 72 counties in total. Otter Tail's inclusion in that list placed Perham squarely inside the zone.

For daily updates and current burn restrictions, visit mndnr.gov/burnrestrictions.