Be extra careful burning stuff and starting fires today

West-central and northern Minnesota will be windy, dry and warm today – meaning you need to be careful if starting a fire or burning things in that region.

There's a red flag warning – which is weather speak for abnormal fire danger – for more than a couple dozen counties from noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday (click here and here to see details).

Basically the high and constant winds (15-25 mph, gusting up to 35 mph) plus low humidity and temps in the mid-60s means any fire that does develop will likely spread quickly.

You can see the general warning area on the map below:

Several wildlife fires recently

The DNR meanwhile says there have been "several" wildlife fires in the state over the past week, while noting there are burning restrictions in that area of the state right now (so check with local authorities before starting a fire).

Also, some safe steps to take:

• Clear the campfire site down to bare soil.
• Keep your fire small, no more than 3 feet in diameter.
• Keep a bucket of water and a shovel nearby. "Put out the campfire by drowning it with water, stirring it, and drowning it again."
• Gas lanterns, barbecue grills, gas stoves and anything else like that can start a wildfire – so be very careful when using them.

Here's the burning restrictions map: