Olmsted County placed under burn ban due to heat, drought

Post-Bulletin, Rochester, Minn.
·1 min read

Sep. 1—ROCHESTER — The Olmsted County Sheriff's Office and Rochester Fire Department set a burning ban starting on Friday afternoon, Sept. 1, 2023.

The fire department said there will be elevated fire weather conditions, including forecasted hot temperatures, breezy southwest winds, low relative humidity, drought conditions and dry fuels, over the next several days. There is no open burning, recreational fires, campfires or burning of any kind in the county, according to a statement from the Sheriff's Office.

The burn ban will remain in place until conditions improve, according to a statement from the fire department.

Temperatures are expected to reach the upper 90s over the Labor Day weekend, according to the National Weather Service. Outdoor vegetation is already "very dry" from the

ongoing drought,

and fires are expected to start easily and spread rapidly. The National Weather Service recommends people "exercise caution if driving over dry grasses, grilling or doing any outdoor burning as fires could spread easily."