Red Flag Warning: Delay burning today, especially in northern Lower Peninsula

Michiganders, if you were planning to burn outside today – don’t. The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for Monday, with fire danger higher than normal across the entire Lower Peninsula and in the eastern portion of the Upper Peninsula.

“It’s a combination of warm temperatures, relatively low humidity and winds gusting to 25 miles per hour,” said Paul Rogers, fire prevention specialist for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

Instead of burning waste left from the historic ice storm in late March, people who live in the affected area are advised to take debris to a collection station. Find a list of debris disposal sites on the state’s ice storm dashboard at Michigan.gov/IceStorm.

If you intend to burn leaves or yard debris, always check online for a burn permit to make sure weather conditions are safe for burning. In the southern Lower Peninsula, check with your local fire department or municipality to make sure conditions allow for safe burning.

Keep fire safety in mind

Never leave any fire unattended, even for a moment. Whenever you have finished with your campfire, make sure to drench it with water, stir the ashes and drench again.

Here are additional fire safety tips:

• Whenever you burn anything, keep a hose or other water source nearby.
• Prevent sparks. Keep trailer chains from dragging and don’t park hot equipment on dry grass.
• Don't burn plastic, hazardous materials, foam or other household trash. This can release dangerous chemicals into the air.
• Use a burn barrel with a screen on top to burn paper, leaves and natural materials.

Learn more about fire safety at Michigan.gov/FireManagement.