Outdoor Burning Restrictions in Place in Rice County

Rice County Sheriff Troy Dunn says because of rising temperatures and high winds predicted for the weekend along with dry vegetation, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and his office is recommending no open burning.

Recreational fires will be allowed.

That means all burning permits issued in Rice County are suspended on the authority of the Rice County Sheriff until further notice. Only recreational fires and grilling are allowed.

Per state statute, campfires cannot be more than 3 feet in diameter by 3 feet high.

I spoke with Dunn this morning and he advised even if you were thinking about a campfire and grilling, to "use extreme caution and good judgement before starting one, because it can quickly get out of hand if not properly monitored."

Dunn wanted to thank everyone for their cooperation in advance and wish everyone a safe weekend.

The DNR red flag warning is for all of southern Minnesota.

Winds are predicted to be southerly at 10-20 mph today and 15-30 mph tomorrow. Sunday the winds will die down and the forecast is for scattered thunderstorms in the area.