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Minnesota Wildfires
Kirsti Marohn
Brainerd, Minn.

Amid dry conditions, DNR warns of danger from campfires, fireworks

Foil dinners cooked over a campfire.
Foil dinners cooked over a campfire.
Flickr Creative Commons | boviate 2017

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Updated: July 5, 9:30 a.m. | Posted: July 3, 4 a.m.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has lifted burning restrictions in northeast Minnesota: in Carlton, Cook, Lake and St. Louis counties. The lift is effective Monday at 6 p.m.

The U.S. Forest Service also has lifted its ban on campfires in the Superior National Forest, including the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, beginning Monday.

The DNR cites recent rain as a factor, but the risk isn’t zero.

With dry conditions across much of Minnesota, state officials say there’s an increased risk of wildfires over the Fourth of July holiday.

The forecast calls for more warm and dry weather, so people should use caution when enjoying campfires or fireworks, said Karen Harrison, statewide wildfire prevention specialist for the DNR.

“We know that people cause more than 98 percent of all wildfires in Minnesota and most of those are unintentional,” she said. “While conditions have improved, we’re not fully out of the woods with fire danger this summer.”

If you do have a campfire, it should be in an established ring and no more than three feet in diameter. Often, wildfires are caused by campfires that are left unattended or not entirely extinguished, Harrison said.

Due to the dry conditions, fireworks also pose a greater-than-usual wildfire risk this year, Harrison said.

“It's important to be safe and not just think about where you're lighting the fireworks but where it might land as well,” she said. “Please don't ignite fireworks near dry grasses or other flammable materials. But we also need to consider where that firework may come down.”

In four northeast Minnesota counties, igniting fireworks is prohibited on public or private land outside of city limits until 6 p.m. Monday. Those include Carlton, Cook, Lake and St. Louis.

Minnesotans throughout the state should skip celebrating with backyard fireworks this year, Harrison said, and consider replacing them with other forms of entertainment, such as an outdoor movie, catching fireflies or stargazing.

“There are some things to enjoy that don't require a flame or a source of heat,” she said.

Correction (July 7, 2023): A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the DNR's statewide wildfire prevention specialist title. This has been fixed.