First spring fire restrictions set for April

[JohnWester]

Spring debris burning restrictions in 18 Minnesota counties will go into effect at 8 a.m. on April 7. The purpose of the fire restrictions is to reduce personal property damage resulting from wildfires caused by debris burning.

 The counties affected by the April 7 fire restrictions are: Anoka, Ramsey, Hennepin, Dakota, Carver, Isanti, Chisago, Pine, Kanabec, Sherburne, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Scott, Wright, Benton, Stearns, Washington and Todd.

Within the past week, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and local fire departments have responded to wildfires in the Little Falls area. As temperatures continue to warm up and vegetation dries out, fire agencies are expecting an increase in fire activity. Data indicate that most spring wildfires originate from the burning of yard debris, according to Olin Phillips, the DNR's fire protection manager.

"The DNR is asking residents to use alternative methods of debris disposal, such as recycling, composting or chipping," Phillips said.

Once the restrictions are in place, they will continue for four to six weeks, or until vegetation greens up enough to significantly lower the fire danger. This is a restriction on issuing debris burning permits. Forestry personnel may still give some variances for specific activities. ?Each variance application is reviewed separately," said Phillips. "These permits are only granted for situations such as prescribed fires conducted by trained fire personnel, burning for approved agricultural practices, and construction or economic hardship burning for which there is no feasible alternative."

Historically, 80 percent of all wildfires in Minnesota occur during April and May, since the inception of annual permit restrictions numbers of spring Wildland fires have been reduced. More counties will be added to the restricted area as snow cover disappears and potential for wildfire increases in areas north of the metro.

More information is available on the DNR Web site at www.dnr.state.mn.us/forestry/fire.

[JohnWester]

An additional 18 Minnesota counties will no longer be issuing burning permits as of April 14 at 8 a.m. The issuing of permits will resume later this spring when wildfire conditions improve.

Counties that will not be issuing permits until further notice include: Aitkin, Itasca, Carlton, St. Louis south of Highway 16, Cass, Clearwater, Crow Wing, Hubbard, Wadena, Becker, Ottertail, Douglas, Pope, Grant, Stevens, Mahnomen, Polk east of County Road 6, and Beltrami south of Highway 1 and the Red Lake Indian Reservation. Eighteen counties in central Minnesota are already restricting burning permits.

Every year the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and local fire departments issue the standard warnings and regulations about wildland fire. Every spring the DNR is called to hundreds of human-caused fires across northern Minnesota.

Jeff Straub, a 15-year veteran Forestry technician and wildland firefighter from Roy Lake, offers a few simple pieces of advice. "Most people know that when the ground is not snow covered, burning permits are required," Straub said. "I'm not sure everyone understands why."

"The first reason is so that we can limit most burning to the evening hours when burning conditions are less severe and the chances of an escaped fire are diminished," Straub noted. "The evening hours are usually more humid and less windy."

The second, lesser-known reason for burning permits is that the DNR flies aerial fire detection during fire season whenever there is a threat of wildfire. "On any given day there may be as few as one or as many as three aircraft flying within sight of your county looking for smoke," Straub said. "The burning permit system helps limit the number of false alarms these pilots have to investigate."

"The burning permit system is designed to aid fire fighting forces keeping you, and us, safe," Straub said. "In all of my years fighting fire in Mahnomen County, there have been two lightning-caused fires and two power-line fires."

"All of the rest have been human caused."

[Joe]

It's good to see we've had a turn around. I saw the fire danger rating for Carlos Avery was "LOW". I think it's Low to Moderate for most of the state.