Fire weather watch issued for Thursday for majority of state

The National Weather Service has issued a fire weather watch for Thursday, covering central, northeast, northwest and western Minnesota.

According to the DNR, this alert means critical fire weather conditions, including gusty winds and low humidity, are forecast to occur.

The following counties have an active fire weather watch for Thursday: Aitkin, Becker, Beltrami, Benton, Big Stone, Carlton, Cass, Chippewa, Clay, Clearwater, Crow Wing, Douglas, Hubbard, Isanti, Itasca, Kanabec, Kandiyohi, Kittson, Koochiching, Lac Qui Parle, Lake Of The Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, McLeod, Meeker, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Norman, Otter Tail, Pennington, Pine, Polk, Pope, Red Lake, Renville, Roseau, Sherburne, St. Louis, Stearns, Stevens, Swift, Todd, Traverse, Wadena, Wilkin, Wright and Yellow Medicine.

The DNR says any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly. Outdoor burning is discouraged.