Very High Risk For Wildfires This Season

The long winter may have just wrapped up, but now another season is upon us. With warm temperatures, low humidity, and high winds, it can be a dangerous combination when it comes to wildfires. The Bemidji Fire Department has been responding to multiple wildfires over the past week, prompting the department to raise the risk level to very high.

Wildfires have been happening all across the region, but as the wooded areas continue to dry out, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is preparing for a busy season.

With the late wildfire season we’re experiencing, looks can be extremely deceiving. Where some snow still remains around the outskirts of a field, the immediate ground is extremely dry, creating a dangerous recipe for a wildfire. Just walk along any road or field and you can hear that crunch proving just how dry the ground already is.

While permit burning is still allowed, if your burn gets out of control, officials say to call authorities immediately.

With minimal rain in the forecast, the wildfire threat will continue until we see the landscape green up.

At this time, Beltrami County Emergency Management is asking residents to refrain from burning. Currently, most of the Lakeland viewing area is classified as high fire danger.