Additional burning restrictions now in effect in Cook and Lake counties
Aug 09, 2021 03:43PM ● By Editor
To help ensure public safety and protect natural resources, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is activating additional burning restrictions for areas within state jurisdiction in Cook and Lake counties, beginning 12:01 a.m. Tuesday,
Aug. 10.
Under the additional restrictions, all campfires and recreational fires are banned and the use of welding devices and other torches is prohibited when in proximity to combustible vegetation (unless special permission is granted).
While the DNR’s restrictions do not apply to tribal lands, the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa has restricted burning on its lands.
Under these additional restrictions, the campfire and recreational fire ban in Cook and Lake counties now includes all public and private land. In the backcountry, and at campsites, only gas or propane camp stoves are allowed. Charcoal and gas fires must be in devices designed for grilling.
All previously issued burning restrictions also remain in place for Cook and Lake counties, including:
- No fireworks may be ignited on any public or private land outside city limits. Check with your local community for any additional restrictions.
- The state will not issue burning permits for brush or yard waste. Open burning permits are restricted. Check the statewide fire danger and burning restrictions webpage for more information.
Restrictions on open burning and campfires remain in place for more than 20 other counties in central and northern Minnesota. Some of these restrictions apply to all non-tribal lands, while others are specific to DNR-managed lands. Details are available on the DNR’s wildfire information page.
Allissa Reynolds, DNR acting wildfire prevention supervisor, said these additional burning restrictions are warranted in the Arrowhead Region due to the combination of the high risk of wildfire and landscape features that can make suppressing wildfires there extremely challenging.
“This year, we’ve seen wildfires starting from campfires, as well as all types of outdoor activities, which is uncommon and dangerous,” Reynolds said. “Campfire bans on public and private lands are rare and reserved for times of intense wildfire risk, like we are experiencing now. We are implementing these restrictions to protect life and property."
Check the DNR statewide fire danger and burning restrictions map (link is external) before any outdoor activity or before heading to cabin or campsite. People can make a difference – keep safety at top of mind. People who spot a wildfire should call 911.
Visit the DNR wildland fire information webpage (link is external) for more information on current restrictions.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is providing email updates about the current drought and details about drought-related actions and responses.
Anyone can sign up (link is external) to receive the weekly drought update, released each Monday, that includes information about current drought status, fire danger and state burning restrictions, and sample stream flows and lake levels.
Subscribers also will receive State Drought Task Force meeting summaries and agendas. The DNR convened the task force in July, when Minnesota entered the Drought Warning Phase. The State Drought Task Force comprises 21 state, federal, tribal, regional and local agencies and organizations with water-related responsibilities.
DNR’s web resources about drought include current information on water conservation efforts, lake level and river flow data, drought and streamflow maps, and a new table providing information about temporary water appropriation suspensions by watershed.
Drought is categorized by a set of drought intensity classifications.
The national drought monitor is updated each Thursday to show the locations and intensity of drought:
- D0 – Abnormally dry (not drought). Soil moisture is low, fire danger increases. All of Minnesota is at least abnormally dry.
- D1 – Moderate drought. River and lake levels lower than normal. Ninety-nine percent of Minnesota is experiencing at least moderate drought, down from 100% the previous week.
- D2 – Severe drought. Ground is hard, fire danger is high, river flows are low, well levels decrease. Seventy-eight percent of Minnesota is experiencing at least severe drought, up from 75 percent the previous week.
- D3 – Extreme drought. Emergency haying and grazing authorizations begin, wildfires are widespread, surface waters are near record lows. Thirty-five percent of Minnesota is experiencing extreme drought, up from 22 percent the previous week.
- D4 – Exceptional drought. Impacts of exceptional drought are very damaging. Minnesota has not experienced exceptional drought over the past 20 years. The drought of the 1930’s would have been classified as an exceptional drought.
Under current conditions, it would take at least five to eight inches of precipitation spread over the next month to significantly alleviate drought.
