ROCHESTER, Minn. – Record-setting warmth, gusty winds, and dry ground are combining to create dangerous fire conditions across southeast Minnesota and northeast Iowa this afternoon.
According to the National Weather Service in La Crosse, southerly winds could gust between 30 and 40 mph through Saturday evening as temperatures climb near record highs. The combination of heat, wind, and dry vegetation will make fires start and spread quickly.
Areas most at risk include Rochester, Winona, Austin, Decorah, and Waukon, with Fayette and Clayton counties in Iowa also under elevated fire weather conditions. Local emergency managers are urging residents to avoid burning brush, lighting campfires, or using outdoor equipment that can spark flames. Even small embers can ignite grass or fields within seconds.
Anyone smoking outdoors should properly extinguish cigarettes and follow any local burn bans already in place.
While conditions are expected to improve overnight, warm and breezy weather will persist into Sunday, keeping fire danger elevated.
