Overview
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A dangerous mix of heat, high winds, and bone-dry grass sparked several wildfires across South Dakota, Minnesota, and Iowa on Saturday, March 28, 2026. The danger began early Saturday as humidity levels dropped and temperatures soared. By the afternoon, wind gusts topped 40 mph and relative humidity values plummeted near 10-15%, turning dry fields into a tinderbox. Fire Damage and Road ClosuresBlazes broke out near Madison, SD, Lake Benton, MN, and George, IA. A fire near Harrisburg, SD was also reported overnight. The largest fire struck near Bronson, IA, where flames raced northeast across five miles of Woodbury County. The fire damaged homes and power lines, forcing officials to shut down Highway 20 between Lawton and Moville. Beyond the flames, the wind kicked up clouds of dust from dry farm fields. The dust made it hard for drivers to see and left a thick, brown haze hanging over the region throughout the day. |
 Drone View Near Bronson Credit: Dan Gottschalk |
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| Highest Wind Gust (MPH) | Lowest Relative Humidity (%) | GOES East Satellite Hotspot |
Photos & Video
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| Blowing Dust Near Ivanhoe, MN (Credit: Parker Minneha) |
Blowing Dust Near Beresford, SD (Credit: South Dakota Mesonet) |
Wildfire Near Lake Benton, MN (Credit: Cara Bloom Bressler) |
Dust Drifts (Credit: Chris Van Ginkel |
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| Drone View Near Bronson Credit: Dan Gottschalk |
Drone View Near Bronson Credit: Dan Gottschalk |
Drone View Near Bronson Credit: Dan Gottschalk |
Near Lake Benton, MN Credit:Joy Oldenkamp Langstraat |
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| View Near Lawson, IA Credit: Landi Janssen Willer |
Near Harrisburg, SD Credit: Jeremy Haala |
Environment and Outlooks
Here is a look at the various products issued during and ahead of this extreme fire weather event. Days ahead of time, the critical risks were being highlighted by the Storms Prediction Center and messaged through various NWS outlooks. Red flag warnings were issued over 24 hours in advance.
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| Extreme GFDI Forecast | SPC Day 1 Fire Weather Outlook | SPC Day 2: Fire Weather Outlook |
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| SPC Day 3: Fire Weather Outlook | SPS For Blowing Dust | What Causes a Wildfire? |
Here is a closer look at the highest wind gusts reported in the region on Saturday March 28, 2026.
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| Highest Wind Reports - Saturday March 29, 2026 | ||
...HIGHEST WIND REPORTS FROM SATURDAY ...
Location Speed Provider
...Iowa...
...Buena Vista County...
Storm Lake Airport 46 MPH AWOS
Storm Lake 36 MPH DAVIS
...Cherokee County...
Cherokee Municipal Airport 41 MPH AWOS
Marcus 31 MPH DAVIS
...Clay County...
Spencer Municipal Airport 51 MPH ASOS
Spencer 45 MPH MESOWEST
Webb 41 MPH DAVIS
...Dickinson County...
TERRIL 47 MPH CWOP
Lake Park 43 MPH CWOP
Spirit Lake 36 MPH CWOP
Milford 32 MPH DAVIS
...Ida County...
Battle Creek 36 MPH DAVIS
Holstein 36 MPH DAVIS
Ida Grove 36 MPH MESOWEST
...Lyon County...
Larchwood 47 MPH DAVIS
...OBrien County...
Sheldon Airport 47 MPH AWOS
Sutherland 39 MPH DAVIS
Hartley 34 MPH DAVIS
...Osceola County...
Sibley 46 MPH MESOWEST
MAY CITY 43 MPH CWOP
Sibley 42 MPH DAVIS
...Plymouth County...
Le Mars Airport 43 MPH AWOS
Remsen 40 MPH DAVIS
Loess Hills Tnc Broken RAWS 39 MPH RAWS
...Sioux County...
1 NE Maurice 48 MPH AWOS
Hawarden 42 MPH CWOP
Hawarden 41 MPH DAVIS
...Woodbury County...
Sioux Gateway Airport 46 MPH ASOS
Sioux City 37 MPH MESOWEST
...Minnesota...
...Cottonwood County...
T.h.71 - Jeffers - Mp 43 52 MPH MESOWEST
T.h.60 - Mountain Lake - Mp 52 MPH MESOWEST
Windom Municipal Airport 45 MPH AWOS
...Jackson County...
I-90 - Lakefield - Mp 67 50 MPH MESOWEST
Estherville 43 MPH CWOP
Jackson Airport 43 MPH AWOS
Lakefield 35 MPH CWOP
...Lincoln County...
U.s.14 - Lake Benton - Mp 7 58 MPH MESOWEST
T.h.19 - Hendricks - Mp 2 56 MPH MESOWEST
Ivanhoe 45 MPH CWOP
...Lyon County...
U.s.14 - Florence - Mp 21.2 63 MPH MESOWEST
T.h.68 - Taunton - Mp 22.9 48 MPH MESOWEST
Marshall Municipal Airport 47 MPH AWOS
Tracy Airport 43 MPH AWOS
...Murray County...
Slayton Municipal Airport 49 MPH AWOS
T.h.30 - Dovray - Mp 49 45 MPH MESOWEST
...Nobles County...
I-90 - Rushmore - Mp 35 53 MPH MESOWEST
Worthington Airport 49 MPH AWOS
Reading 41 MPH DAVIS
...Pipestone County...
U.s.75 - Trosky - Mp 30.3 57 MPH MESOWEST
Redstone RAWS 45 MPH RAWS
...Rock County...
I-90 - Magnolia - Mp 21.6 53 MPH MESOWEST
I-90 - Beaver Creek Mp 4 51 MPH MESOWEST
Luverne 45 MPH CWOP
Luverne Airport 44 MPH AWOS
...Nebraska...
...Dakota County...
South Sioux City 35 MPH CWOP
...Dixon County...
Concord 2E 44 MPH NE-MESO
...South Dakota...
...Aurora County...
SD RWIS Plankinton 55 MPH SDDOT
White Lake (SD Mesonet) 50 MPH SDSMESO
...Beadle County...
SD RWIS WOLSEY 52 MPH SDDOT
Carpenter 7SW (SD Mesonet) 51 MPH SDSMESO
SD RWIS Cavour 50 MPH SDDOT
Huron Regional Airport 49 MPH ASOS
...Bon Homme County...
SD RWIS Tyndall 45 MPH SDDOT
Avon 3E (SD Mesonet) 45 MPH SDSMESO
Scotland 43 MPH DAVIS
...Brookings County...
Astoria 4 SSE (SD Mesonet) 48 MPH SDSMESO
Brookings 2NE (SD Mesonet) 45 MPH SDSMESO
Brookings Municipal Airport 45 MPH AWOS
Volga (SD Mesonet) 44 MPH SDSMESO
Elkton 43 MPH CWOP
Aurora 2NNE (SD Mesonet) 41 MPH SDSMESO
White 40 MPH DAVIS
...Brule County...
SD RWIS Kimball 53 MPH SDDOT
Academy 3NNW (SD Mesonet) 44 MPH SDSMESO
Chamberlain Municipal Airpor 40 MPH ASOS
...Charles Mix County...
SD RWIS Platte-Winner Bridge 54 MPH SDDOT
Lake Andes RAWS 53 MPH RAWS
SD RWIS WAGNER 47 MPH SDDOT
Wagner 45 MPH AWOS
...Clay County...
Beresford 7 WSW (SD Mesonet) 47 MPH SDSMESO
Vermillion 38 MPH AWOS
...Davison County...
Mitchell Municipal Airport 52 MPH ASOS
Mount Vernon (SD Mesonet) 49 MPH SDSMESO
...Douglas County...
SD RWIS Corsica 55 MPH SDDOT
Armour 40 MPH DAVIS
...Gregory County...
SD RWIS Dixon 58 MPH SDDOT
SD RWIS Dallas 58 MPH SDDOT
Gregory 16N (SD Mesonet) 57 MPH SDSMESO
Bonesteel 53 MPH DAVIS
Gregory 7SSW (SD Mesonet) 51 MPH SDSMESO
SD RWIS Ft. Randall Dam 49 MPH SDDOT
Herrick 47 MPH DAVIS
Butte 8NNW 46 MPH CWOP
...Hanson County...
SD RWIS Alexandria 53 MPH SDDOT
...Hutchinson County...
SD RWIS Freeman 51 MPH SDDOT
SD RWIS Tripp 51 MPH SDDOT
Menno 7ESE (SD Mesonet) 45 MPH SDSMESO
Ethan 43 MPH DAVIS
Parkston (SD Mesonet) 42 MPH SDSMESO
...Jerauld County...
SD RWIS Lane 53 MPH SDDOT
2 ESE Wessington Springs 51 MPH AWOS
...Kingsbury County...
SD RWIS Arlington 56 MPH SDDOT
De Smet 7N (SD Mesonet) 50 MPH SDSMESO
3 NNW De Smet 47 MPH AWOS
Erwin 43 MPH DAVIS
...Lake County...
Madison 6S (SD Mesonet) 51 MPH SDSMESO
SD RWIS MADISON 49 MPH SDDOT
Madison Airport 49 MPH AWOS
Wentworth 41 MPH DAVIS
...Lincoln County...
SD RWIS Davis 51 MPH SDDOT
Canton 45 MPH AWOS
Tea 43 MPH AWOS
HARRISBURG 36 MPH CWOP
...McCook County...
SD RWIS Montrose 48 MPH SDDOT
SD RWIS STANLEY CORNER 48 MPH SDDOT
Canova 46 MPH CWOP
Bridgewater 39 MPH DAVIS
Salem 38 MPH DAVIS
Montrose 35 MPH DAVIS
...Miner County...
Carthage 3E (SD Mesonet) 47 MPH SDSMESO
SD RWIS Howard 45 MPH SDDOT
Winfred 38 MPH DAVIS
...Minnehaha County...
SD RWIS DELL RAPIDS 56 MPH SDDOT
Sioux Falls Airport 51 MPH ASOS
Baltic 3 SE (SD Mesonet) 42 MPH SDSMESO
Sioux Falls (SD Mesonet) 41 MPH SDSMESO
Sioux Falls 10 WSW (SD Meson 41 MPH SDSMESO
Colton 2 ESE (SD Mesonet) 39 MPH SDSMESO
...Moody County...
2 S Flandreau 52 MPH AWOS
Flandreau 3 NNE (SD Mesonet) 50 MPH SDSMESO
...Sanborn County...
SD RWIS Forestburg 51 MPH SDDOT
SD RWIS ALPENA 49 MPH SDDOT
Letcher 2ENE (SD Mesonet) 48 MPH SDSMESO
Woonsocket 4NNW (SD Mesonet) 42 MPH SDSMESO
...Turner County...
SD RWIS Parker 49 MPH SDDOT
SD RWIS IRENE 46 MPH SDDOT
Hurley 5SW (SD Mesonet) 46 MPH SDSMESO
Parker 7NNE (SD Mesonet) 44 MPH SDSMESO
...Union County...
SD RWIS Beresford 47 MPH SDDOT
SD RWIS North Sioux City 45 MPH SDDOT
...Yankton County...
SD RWIS Gayville 47 MPH SDDOT
SD RWIS VELDIN CORNER 44 MPH SDDOT
Yankton Municipal Airport 41 MPH AWOS
Observations are collected from a variety of sources with varying
equipment and exposures. We thank all volunteer weather observers
for their dedication. Not all data listed are considered official.
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