Minnesota keeps burning restrictions in four northern counties as wildfire planning level remains IV

Minnesota’s July 31 wildfire situation report listed burning restrictions in Koochiching, St. Louis, Lake and Cook counties while the statewide planning level remained IV.

Burning restrictions remained in effect in Koochiching, St. Louis, Lake and Cook counties, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources wildfire situation report last modified July 31, 2026. The same report listed Minnesota’s statewide wildfire planning level as IV.

The restrictions apply to the four counties named in the report. The DNR dashboard does not indicate that all of Minnesota is under burning restrictions.

Planning levels remain elevated

Regional planning levels in the July 31 report were listed as IV or IV(E). The report uses those statewide and regional planning levels alongside its current wildfire information and county restriction listings.

The planning-level designation is separate from the county restriction list. The report identifies Koochiching, St. Louis, Lake and Cook as the counties with burning restrictions, while reporting the planning level on a statewide and regional basis.

Limits on campfires and open burning

In a July 19 announcement about enhanced burning restrictions, the DNR said Class IV restrictions prohibit campfires and most open burning in the affected northern area. That announcement provides context for the limits now listed on the state’s wildfire planning dashboard.

The July 31 report did not provide a date for lifting the restrictions in the four counties. The dashboard notes that conditions and restrictions can change daily, so the current county list is not a schedule for when limits will end.

Statewide fire totals are interagency figures

The report listed 1,013 fires and 82,730.6 acres year to date, based on interagency reporting. It also reported three wildfires in the preceding 24 hours.

The year-to-date acreage figure is a statewide total compiled from multiple agencies. It does not identify how many acres were tied to any one fire or how much acreage was recorded in Koochiching, St. Louis, Lake or Cook counties.

For people planning outdoor burning or campfires in the four listed counties, the immediate known status is that restrictions remained in effect as of the July 31 report. No lifting deadline was included in the source material.

Sources

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

About the Author

Easy WordPress Websites Builder: Versatile Demos for Blogs, News, eCommerce and More – One-Click Import, No Coding! 1000+ Ready-made Templates for Stunning Newspaper, Magazine, Blog, and Publishing Websites.

BlockSpare — News, Magazine and Blog Addons for (Gutenberg) Block Editor

Search the Archives

Access over the years of investigative journalism and breaking reports