By Charlie Mahler
As yard clean-up begins in Southern Minnesota, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is reminding all Minnesotans to be careful with fires and to pay special attention to lingering heat in burn piles, campfires, and wood-heater ash.
“Dirt, ash and snow can insulate embers, allowing fires to smolder for days, weeks or even months.” Karen Harrison, a DNR wildfire prevention specialist, said in a recent media release. “On a dry, windy day, embers can be fanned into flames, escape into nearby dead grass, and quickly become a fast-moving wildfire.”
The DNR encourages Minnesotans to compost, chip, or take yard waste to a collection site, instead of burning. If people choose to burn, it’s safest to do so while there’s still snow on the ground. If there is less than three inches of continuous snow, a burning permit is required for any fire larger than 3 feet wide by 3 feet high.
According to the DNR website, burning permits are now required for the southern two-thirds of the state. Currently, there are no burning restrictions in Minnesota.
Burn permit jurisdiction and rules vary by location in Rice and Dakota County. The Northfield Area Fire and Rescue website offers a burn permit portal for various locales. Permits take two to three days for processing, according to the site.
Northfield Area Fire and Rescue Service Chief Tom Nelson said obtaining a burning permit is easy and inexpensive.
“If you are going to burn outside of the city limits and you’re in Rice County, then you get a permit from the Department of Natural Resources website,” he said. “It costs $5 for the year. Dakota County is different because the DNR says it has to be countywide, and not all of Dakota County wanted to be in the DNR permitting so then it falls on the fire district. So [NAFRS Assistant] Charlene, and I probably issue at least 100 burning permits for the year. And Dakota County burning permits from us are free.”
Those burning outdoors are expected to monitor fires and fully extinguish them by drowning the fire with water or snow, stirring the ashes and repeating until remains are cold. If a fire does rekindle or escape, the person responsible can be liable for any damages and wildfire suppression costs.
Northfield residents have curbside and drop-off options for disposing of yard waste without burning.
An April to November season-long curbside service costs $65 annually.
On-call pick-ups can be arranged via the city’s sanitation vendor during spring and fall seasons. Required stickers for compostable pick-up bags can be purchased at Family Fare for $3 each.
Yard waste drop-offs at the Northfield Compost Site are scheduled to resume in early April.
Check the Northfield city website for details and hours for the various options.
Charlie Mahler is a regular contributor to KYMN News. Contact him at news@kymnradio.net
