Red flag fire warning issued for southwestern Minnesota
With conditions ripe for wildfires, the National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for southwestern Minnesota.
Thirteen counties in the southwestern corner of the state are expected to have critical weather conditions Wednesday, including relative humidity as low as 20 percent and strong winds. The area includes all of the state south of the Minnesota River from New Ulm to Granite Falls.
The warning will be in effect from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Forecasters say they’re expecting steady winds from 25 to 35 mph and gusts up to 50 mph.
A separate wind advisory covers much of west-central Minnesota.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says there should be no open burning and any recent fires should be checked to make sure they’re completely extinguished.
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