Austin Fire Chief Mickey Healey sprays down a ditch on 270th Street, a half mile west of Lansing Corners, Monday afternoon. Local officials are warning residents to be careful when using fire. Trey Mewes/trey.mewes@austindailyherald.com

Area officials are warning residents to not burn campfires and be careful when extinguishing cigarettes.

According to the National Weather Service and the U.S. Drought Monitor, southeastern Minnesota is in a moderate drought with a moderate chance for fires.

“With the dry conditions, just have people be smart when they are outside,” said Stu Ireland, NWS meteorologist in La Crosse, Wis. “No campfires, don’t do anything that could cause fire to potentially start because it could get away pretty quick.”

Ireland added scattered showers may reach the region by Tuesday night and later this week; however, rainfall totals won’t be enough to alleviate the drought.

There is currently no burning ban in place, though Mower County Sheriff Chief Deputy Mark May advised residents to be careful with small sources of flames, including throwing cigarettes out of car windows.

“Usually if the DNR says they’re concerned, we’ll go with a burning ban,” he said.

Area firefighters extinguished a grass fire on 270th Street just west of Lansing Corners, after a burning sack got away from a burn pile on Monday afternoon.

“The fire went out really quick,” said Austin Fire Chief Mickey Healey.

The blaze lasted 10 to 15 minutes; firefighters soaked the surrounding field to make sure the fire didn’t spread.

“We made sure there were no embers still burning,” Healey added.