Heed the alert. At playground on U.S. Highway 35 outside the Fountain City fire hall. Image: Steve Lunde
Wicked combination: High winds, winter drought
FOUNTAIN CITY, Wis. – Winds at 40 mph whipped through the Coulee Region a second day, heightening concern about wildfires. Terrain already was in a winter drought from unseasonably light snowpacks. The National Weather Service posted Red Flag alerts for western Wisconsin and 41 southern Minnesota counties. Some local fire agencies stopped issuing burn permits, some only with stern cautionary warning.