BELTRAMI COUNTY, Minn. — The Beltrami County Sheriff is restricting traffic on Upper Red Lake until the ice conditions improve.
Starting at sundown on Dec. 30, vehicles are barred from traversing the lake until the sheriff lifts the order. This includes snowmobiles, ATVs and all motorized vehicles.
A violation of this order is a misdemeanor and may incur fines, penalties and restitution from Beltrami County, according to a release from the office of Sheriff Jason Riggs.
State and county officials will monitor the situation and when "practical and prudent," Riggs will lift this restriction.
The order comes a day after 122 fishermen were rescued from Upper Red Lake when a large chunk of ice broke off from the shore. First responders have staged several other rescues in the early stages of this unusually mild winter, and a small plane plunged into the lake after trying to land on ice that was too thin.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has issued multiple warnings about poor ice conditions statewide, telling state residents that the recent combination of wind, rain and warm weather means "few, if any, areas of the state have the ice thickness necessary" for ice fishing.
"Use extreme caution if you venture on area lakes and check the ice thickness frequently," Sheriff Riggs warned.
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