Burning bans in Mower County and several other area counties were lifted Thursday following recent rains in southern Minnesota and northern Iowa.

Among those lifted were bans in Mower, Freeborn, Waseca, Steele and Faribault counties, according to officials.

Faribault County officials lifted their ban Wednesday, while Mower, Freeborn, Waseca and Steele county officials lifted theirs Thursday.

“Weather and moisture conditions will continue to be monitored in the event the ban needs to be reinstated at a later date,” according to a Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office news release.

In Iowa, a ban is still in place in Winnebago County, while no ban had been instituted in Worth County.

Winds Thursday were forecast to be between 18 and 21 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph.

Windy weather is expected to continue Friday with northwest winds increasing to between 21 and 24 mph, according to the National Weather Service. Winds could gust as high as 32 mph.

A 30 percent chance of showers is expected Saturday night.

— Austin Daily Herald

The burning bans were in effect for at least a week, with the ban in Waseca County lasting three weeks.

The National Weather Service had also issued a “red flag warning” for much of the area, indicating critical fire conditions. The warning admonished people to use extreme caution if outdoors and using anything that could result in a spark that could start a fire.

Area firefighters battled numerous field fires during the week as well, most of which were caused by sparks in harvesting equipment.

Freeborn County Sheriff Bob Kindler on Thursday said anyone in the county wishing to burn must still notify dispatchers at 507-377-5205 prior to starting the fire. By state law, only vegetation and untreated wood may be burned.