(FOX 9) - The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources announced Saturday that the majority of the state is at very high fire danger due to low humidity and high winds in the forecast.
Due to the elevated fire risk across the state, burning remains suspended with DNR-issued annual burning permits for debris piles, barrels and grass or wooded areas across the DNR Protection Area. If you are outside the DNR Protection Area, please check with your local authorities for any burning restrictions.
The DNR is asking residents to avoid all outdoor burning including limiting the use of campfires and making sure to extinguish and dispose of cigarettes properly. Outdoor enthusiasts should also use caution with off-road vehicles or equipment that can create a spark and start a fire. Keep in mind that weather conditions can change frequently and quickly become dangerous.
There have already been 250 wildfires reported in Wisconsin so far this year, burning over 1,000 acres. That includes a wildfire in Menomonee Falls that burned nearly 450 acres of marshland on Friday, which has since been contained.
Counties with VERY HIGH fire danger include:
Adams, Brown, Buffalo, Calumet, Chippewa, Clark, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Door, Dunn, Eau Claire, Florence, Fond du Lac, Forest, Grant, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Jackson, Jefferson, Juneau, Kenosha, Kewaunee, La Crosse, Lafayette, Langlade, Lincoln, Manitowoc, Marathon, Marinette, Marquette, Menominee, Milwaukee, Monroe, Oconto, Oneida, Outagamie, Ozaukee, Pepin, Pierce, Portage, Racine, Richland, Rock, Sauk, Shawano, Sheboygan, St. Croix, Taylor, Trempealeau, Vernon, Vilas, Walworth, Washington, Waukesha, Waupaca, Waushara, Winnebago and Wood.
The counties with HIGH fire danger include:
Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, Iron, Polk, Price, Rusk, Sawyer and Washburn.
Meanwhile, a Red Flag Warning is expanded across much of Minnesota Friday amid windy and dry conditions. The warning means the impacted area is experiencing "critical weather conditions" that are ideal for a wildfire to spread.