Fire ban in effect for Mower County

Published 10:23 am Monday, October 19, 2015

Austin firefighter Chris Grunewald catches his breath while fighting a bean field fire just on the southwest edge of Austin last year.

Austin firefighter Chris Grunewald catches his breath while fighting a bean field fire just on the southwest edge of Austin last year.  Herald file photo.

A fire ban is in effect for Mower County and much of southeast Minnesota.

According to Sheriff Terese Amazi, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources sent an email issuing a burn ban Monday morning. This includes open fires which require permits. The ban will be in effect until the winds calm down or the county gets more moisture than there currently is.

The ban comes after several fires these past few weeks in Mower County and several field fires this weekend, one of which was in rural Austin. Amazi said fires are just as likely to happen anywhere at the moment as it’s a very dry season.

Email newsletter signup