We waited for the warm sunny days to return and they have, but a DNR spokesperson says that also means the chance of wildfire has also risen sharply. Governor Walker has declared a state of emergency in response to elevated wildfire conditions.
Catherine Koele is DNR wildfire prevention specialist in Woodruff. She says Northwoods is at the peak of wildfire season...
"....southern half of the state is greening up nicely and moving northward, but we still have a week or two of traditional fire season in the north, especially in the northwest right now.. Traditional fire season is after the snow melts and before green up, so we're right at peak. We had a chat with the weather service this morning and it looks like warm dry conditions for the weekend and the coming week. Fortunately, the winds don't appear to be quite as strong coming up, so that's a very good thing for us....."
Koele says the public should use extreme caution. Koele says it's likely burning permits will be suspended in the northern part of the state until more precipitation arrives....
"....it doesn't take a lot in these dry, sandy soils to spark a wildfire. Something as simple as a chain from a trailer can spark a wildfire. Any time you introduce fire into the outdoors, there's that risk...."
All of the Northwoods is listed as having a high fire danger potential. We have a link to the fire status here.
