(St. Paul, MN) — The state Department of Natural Resources says the danger of wildfires in central and southern Minnesota is very high. The latest fire danger map from the agency shows eight counties in central Minnesota in the very high-risk category, including Stearns, Morrison, Benton and Wright counties. A large area of west-central and southern Minnesota is also in the high-risk category, meaning fires can start easily and spread quickly. Many counties across the state already require permits to do any open burning, though burn bans were recently implemented in Blue Earth, Brown and Waseca counties due to the high risk of wildfires.