Updraft Category Archive: Fire

Live blog: Forest fire near Ely, Minn.

Posted at 5:16 PM on May 17, 2012 by Molly Bloom (6 Comments)
Filed under: Fire

A 90-acre wildfire south of Ely started spreading quickly Thursday afternoon, leading to the evacuation of parts of the city.

We will be posting updates here.

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Fire Weather Watch Friday!

Posted at 12:39 AM on November 4, 2011 by Paul Huttner
Filed under: Fire

Dry conditions and increasing winds will create high fire danger Friday in Minnesota.

A fire weather watch has been issued. Here's the text from Twin Cities NWS.

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
805 PM CDT THU NOV 3 2011

...A FIRE WEATHER WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FRIDAY AFTERNOON FOR
CENTRAL AND MOST OF SOUTHERN MINNESOTA DUE TO THE COMBINATION OF
DRY FINE FUELS...STRONG WINDS...AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES...

.MINNESOTA WILL FIND ITSELF IN BETWEEN A STRONG STORM SYSTEM
DEVELOPING IN THE ROCKIES AND AN AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE OFF TO THE
EAST FRIDAY AFTERNOON. THE RESULT WILL BE STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS
WHICH WILL STRENGTHEN DURING THE LATE MORNING AND CONTINUE
THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON. SUSTAINED WINDS BETWEEN 15 AND 25 MPH
WITH GUSTS OVER 30 MPH ARE EXPECTED...ALONG WITH LOW RELATIVE
HUMIDITY VALUES BETWEEN 20 AND 30 PERCENT.

FURTHERMORE...MANY LOCATIONS IN MINNESOTA HAVE ONLY RECEIVED AN
INCH OR LESS OF RAINFALL SINCE SEPTEMBER...WHICH HAS PRODUCED
VERY DRY FINE FUELS. DUE TO THE COMBINATION OF THESE FACTORS...A
FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR FRIDAY AFTERNOON IN CENTRAL
AND SOUTHERN MINNESOTA. AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES ARE ONLY EXPECTED
TO RISE INTO THE 50S...WHICH MAY TEMPER FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL.
HOWEVER...THE STRONG WINDS AND VERY DRY FUELS ARE ENOUGH TO
OVERCOME THE COOL TEMPERATURES. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE IN
WESTERN MINNESOTA.

...FIRE WEATHER WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FRIDAY AFTERNOON FOR STRONG
WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY LEVELS FOR CENTRAL AND MOST SOUTHERN
MINNESOTA...

A FIRE WEATHER WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FRIDAY AFTERNOON.

* AFFECTED AREA...CENTRAL AND MOST OF SOUTHERN MINNESOTA.

* WINDS...SOUTH 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 20 PERCENT.

* IMPACTS...FIRES COULD BECOME DANGEROUS AND FAST MOVING IN A
SHORT PERIOD OF TIME DUE TO THE GUSTY WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY
LEVELS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FIRE WEATHER WATCH MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE FORECAST TO OCCUR. LISTEN FOR LATER FORECASTS AND POSSIBLE
RED FLAG WARNINGS.

PH