A cooler week ahead with chance for showers should help ease the fire danger.
Wildfire response crews remained staffed and ready Sunday after two busy days where warm temperatures and gusting winds created a near critical fire danger in central Minnesota. Clouds rolled in Sunday but precipitation, already forecast as light, never materialized at least through the afternoon.
But cooler temperatures, with highs in the 60s and even 50s, this week will help.
"Weather on Sunday is expected to moderate greatly if the forecasted light precipitation and higher humidities arrive," the DNR reported. "Fire behavior should be greatly reduced if predicted precipitation arrives."
Sunday reached 76 degrees by 3 p.m. with relative humidity of 42 percent. Winds were still gusting at 20 mph. Late last week, humidity levels dropped into the upper 20s. Warm temps, low humidity and gusting winds are all part of the equation when looking at how quickly a wildfire could spread.
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Fire danger, as vegetation dries out after the snowmelt and before spring rains fuel a green-up, continues across the region. Seasonal burning restrictions are in place allowing no unnecessary open burning. No burning of yard waste is allowed during seasonal burning restrictions.
Much of the forecast for the week ahead includes talk of rain, but it's 50-50 or less.
A chance of showers for the coming week are highest through Tuesday with a 50 percent chance during the day and 30 percent chance at night. By Tuesday, winds should also calm to 10 mph. And the high temperature is expected to be nearly 20 degrees cooler than Sunday's high. Wednesday, Friday and throughout next weekend the chance of showers persists.
Recent fire activity
Saturday, the Backus Area DNR Forestry reported firefighters responded to two small wildfires, one was a quarter-acre and the other a half acre. Both were suppressed very quickly with initial attack crews. The Pine River Fire Department assisted with the smaller of the two.
Several illegal debris burning piles were also reported and action taken throughout the area, the DNR reported.
"All were contained very quickly with no losses of personal property or natural resources," the DNR stated. "No structures were threatened."
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The DNR reported about 30 acres burned Friday with firefighters responding to five wildfires, bringing the total for the year to 25. All fires except the fire near Leader were quickly extinguished by initial attack crews. The fire near leader took nearly an hour to contain.
Friday fires included:
• A shed/garage burned in the vicinity of Barrows resulting in a quarter-acre grass fire.
• Two fires were in the vicinity of Hackensack. A quarter-acre fire near Baby Lake was caused by a fallen power line and the second south of Trillium Lake consumed 2 acres of grass. Both were contained by DNR initial attack crews.
• A grass fire about 25 acres in size occurred 2 miles northeast of Leader. This fire was detected by a DNR aerial detection plane. One helicopter, two J-5 Bombardiers, a dozer was used to assist ground crews from DNR forestry and the Motley Fire Department in the extinguishment of this fire.
• Three miles north of Pine River a 2-acre grass fire was quickly suppressed by DNR firefighters assisted by the Pine River Fire Department.
And on Thursday, firefighters responded to a wildfire in the Backus area west of Pine Center that burned about 45 acres in grass, agricultural crop residue and hardwood timbered lands. "This fire was wind driven and was very difficult to control," the DNR reported. "It required large amounts of fire suppression equipment. The fire was contained within two hours of the arrival of initial attack suppression crews."
To fight the fire, DNR Forestry personnel used two J-5 bombardiers, one helicopter and several Air Tanker drops from a Fire Boss air tanker to control the fire. Fire Boss air tankers are capable of scooping water from nearby lakes to drop on fire. The DNR forces were assisted by the Garrison Fire Department.
