Burning restrictions eased in northern Minnesota

Duluth, Minn. -- State fire officials are lifting burning restrictions in most central and northern Minnesota counties today. Officials say the spring greenup has moved north, while rain has replenished some of the lacking moisture.

Jason Ferguson, a fire dispatcher with the Minnesota Interagency Fire Center in Grand Rapids, said restrictions come off in a dozen counties today.

"In the counties of Beltrami; the north half of Cass County; Carlton; Clear Water; Hubbard; Itasca; Koochiching; Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Polk, St. Louis and Roseau," Ferguson said. "The only two counties that will still have burning restrictions will be Cook and Lake County."

But Ferguson said conditions are still unusually dry in some parts of central and southern Minnesota. He advises people to burn only with a permit; and to stay with fires until the fire is completely out.