Sioux Falls, SD – Residents across Iowa, southern Minnesota, and eastern Nebraska are under a Special Weather Statement today as the National Weather Service warns of elevated fire danger driven by unseasonably warm, windy, and dry conditions.
According to multiple NWS offices in Sioux Falls, Des Moines, Omaha, and the Twin Cities, southerly winds gusting up to 45 mph, combined with low humidity and dry cropland, will create dangerous burning conditions through late Saturday afternoon and evening.
The strongest winds are expected from noon to 7 p.m., with the most hazardous conditions stretching from central Iowa through southern Minnesota into northeast Nebraska and southeast South Dakota. Temperatures near record highs will further dry vegetation, increasing the chance that any spark could ignite a fast-moving blaze.
Officials warn that fires could spread rapidly and behave unpredictably. Residents are urged to avoid all outdoor burning, postpone debris fires, and use caution with farm equipment or cigarettes. Even small embers could ignite surrounding grass or crop fields under today’s gusty winds.
Local emergency managers ask anyone who spots a fire to report it immediately.
This alert affects communities including Sioux City, Des Moines, Omaha, Mankato, and Worthington, with similar warnings extending into western Wisconsin and eastern South Dakota.
