DNR: It's peak season for wildfires

MARATHON COUNTY, Wis. (WSAW) -- It's been a busy few days for firefighters in Marathon County, with several brush fires. But it's not only the fire departments that have to respond, the DNR does. And the agency said this is actually the peak time for forest fires.

Rangers said there are so many fires because the air is dry and it's also been windy. The higher, grassy areas are more at risk.

"Now that the snow's gone, the grass is definitely dry under there, and we're seeing some fairly impressive fire behavior for as recently as we've had snow," said Matt Slater, Forest Ranger with the DNR.

All it takes is a spark, when the conditions are right the fire danger is elevated to high which means grass fires happen more often.

"That whole period in the spring here, in between when the snow goes away and the vegetation greens up, this is our fire season," said Slater.

He said the recent weather has made conditions favorable for fires.

"The air has actually been very, very dry. Down at ground level, it is very wet but the grass standing above it is very, very dry and it's burning very, very well," said Slater.

These grass fires can also cause building fires. Thursday in Elderon, a machine shed caught fire after a spark ignited some brush outside and spread.

"Conditions are favorable for fires to get out of control. Dry and windy conditions, with a little bit of wind it gets out of your control in a hurry," said Hatley Fire Chief Randy Szews.

There were no injuries. But as people prepare for spring and summer, rangers said this is a reminder that the most common cause of forest fires is from cleaning our yards.

"Our normal, most common cause of forest fires is debris burning. People burning brush, leaves and yard waste," said Slater.

People are also burning ashes, which if not fully cool, can ignite the dry grass.

"That's pretty common with the cooler temperatures, people are still using their wood burners. So those ashes need to be disposed of, but you just need to make absolutely sure that they're dead-cold before they're dumped out. And dump them out in a safe place," said Slater.

The DNR said you need to check burning restrictions in your area, and what the current fire conditions are for the day. If you do burn, you need a permit. You can find all this information on the DNR's website.

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