BREAKING: Dry, Windy Conditions Prompt Red Flag Warnings for Northern Iowa, Southern Minnesota

Floyd, Chickasaw, Howard and Hancock counties, already under burn bans, are also among about a dozen north and northeast Iowa counties under Red Flag Warnings.

The National Weather Services (NWS) in La Crosse and Des Moines say the Red Flag Warnings are in effect until 7 pm Wednesday (10.02) evening and also include Mitchell, Cerro Gordo, Worth, Winnebago and Kossuth counties.

NWS says the combination of well above normal temperatures in the mid-to-upper 70s, relative humidity as low as 20%, and gusty southwest winds upwards of 35 mph will lead to very high to extreme fire danger over southeast Minnesota and northeast Iowa through early evening. With the recent lack of rain and drying across the region, the greatest fire danger will be areas of dry cropland, where harvest is ongoing, and where dry tall grasses exist.

NWS warns that any fire that develops will catch and spread quickly. Outdoor burning is not recommended. Caution should be exercised during harvest operations to avoid crop fires.

Winneshiek County is also under a burn ban. As of 4 pm Wednesday, there were 20 burn bans active or about to become active across the state.