From the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources - April 16, 2021

As fire season deepens and expands, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has added the following counties to the burn restriction list: Aitkin, Carlton and Pine.

The state will not issue burning permits for brush or yard waste in these counties until the restrictions are lifted.

Restrictions remain in place for: Anoka, Becker, Beltrami, Benton, Cass, Chisago, Clay, Clearwater, Crow Wing, Douglas, Grant, Hennepin, Hubbard, Isanti, Itasca, Kanabec, Kittson, Koochiching, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Norman, Otter Tail, Pennington, Polk, Pope, Ramsey, Red Lake, Roseau, Sherburne, Stearns, Stevens, Todd, Traverse, Wadena, Washington, Wilkin and Wright counties.

“Warm and dry conditions are key factors for wildfires, so we have to remain on alert about restricting open burning,” said Casey McCoy, DNR fire prevention supervisor. “These restrictions really do work: they’ve helped reduce wildfires by more than 30 percent over the past decade.”

McCoy encourages landowners to compost, chip, or take brush to a collection site rather than burn it. For information on how compost yard waste, visit the DNR’s guide to composting yard debris (link is external).

People who burn debris will be held financially responsible if their fire escapes and burns other property.

For information and daily updates on current fire risk and open burning restrictions, visit the DNR website: mndnr.gov/burnrestrictions (link is external).