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The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for Thursday for 85 counties in Minnesota, including Freeborn County due to extreme fire danger.

Effective 8 a.m. through 7 p.m. for northwest Minnesota are Becker, Beltrami, Clay, Clearwater, Grant, Hubbard, Kittson, Lake Of The Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, Norman, Otter Tail, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake, Roseau, Wadena and Wilkin counties.

Effective 11 a.m. through 7 p.m. for central and southern Minnesota are Anoka, Benton, Big Stone, Blue Earth, Brown, Carver, Chippewa, Chisago, Cottonwood, Dakota, Dodge, Douglas, Faribault, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Hennepin, Houston, Isanti, Jackson, Kanabec, Kandiyohi, Lac Qui Parle, Le Sueur, Lincoln, Lyon, Martin, McLeod, Meeker, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Mower, Murray, Nicollet, Nobles, Olmsted, Pipestone, Pope, Ramsey, Redwood, Renville, Rice, Rock, Scott, Sherburne, Sibley, Stearns, Steele, Stevens, Swift, Todd, Traverse, Wabasha, Waseca, Washington, Watonwan, Winona, Wright and Yellow Medicine.

Effective 12 a.m. through 7 p.m. for northeast Minnesota are Aitkin, Carlton, Cass, Crow Wing, Itasca, Koochiching, Pine and St. Louis.

A red flag warning means fires can spread quickly and easily progress out of control under the predicted weather conditions, including gusty winds and low relative humidity. Do not burn in counties where a red flag warning is in effect and check any recent burning to ensure the fire is completely out. The DNR will not issue or activate open burning permits for large vegetative debris burning during the warning, and campfires are discouraged.

Freeborn County Sheriff Ryan Shea said Freeborn County will be under open burning restrictions beginning at 6 a.m. on Thursday and continuing through 6 a.m. Saturday.  There will be no burn permits issued during this time.  He said if similar conditions exist, the burn ban could continue Saturday morning.

“When fire risk is this high it’s important to be careful with anything could spark a wildfire,” said Karen Harrison, DNR wildfire prevention specialist.

Red flag warnings are evolving situations.  Visit the National Weather Service, (weather.gov) for updates.