Wildland Fire News

Wildfire Season Makes Its Way To The Northwoods

To capture the concept of fire season in a tidy little package, it can be thought of as the time of year when wildfires are most likely to occur. A traditional fire season in Wisconsin begins in southern Wisconsin as the snow melts and moves progressively north, following snow melt further north and moving away from green up in the south. This is the case for Wisconsin this year. While trees are leafing out, people are mowing lawns, and morel mushrooms are appearing in southern Wisconsin, fire season is coming to an end.

It’s a different case in northern Wisconsin, with green up just beginning and fire season at its peak. In fact, the areas with sandy soil and an abundance of pine trees are at critical fire danger, particularly because of a phenomenon called the “spring dip” – a time when the moisture content of pine needles is low and starch content is high. When pines are in the spring dip, individual tree torching and crown fire in groups of trees is a very real possibility. This type of fire is the most challenging to contain and extinguish.

Warm temperatures, low humidity, and gusty winds forecasted for this week will keep fire danger elevated in northern Wisconsin. Several counties have suspended burning where the DNR has burning authority. Small campfires for warming or cooking are allowed but definitely not recommended until conditions improve.

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WisBURN: A Place For All Things ‘Burning’ In Wisconsin

By Catherine Koele, DNR Wildfire Prevention Specialist

For southern Wisconsin, fire season is well underway. For others in the north? Well, unfortunately, it may be June before some of the snow piles completely melt. But, it’s never too early to be thinking about spring fire season. To gear up, the DNR launched an update to WisBURN—the place to get current fire season information throughout Wisconsin. 

Phone screen showing WisBURN interactive map

Fire danger and DNR burn restrictions can change daily. WisBURN can help keep you informed!

Many people have come to recognize the Wisconsin DNR’s fire danger and burn restrictions webpage over the years. It draws in nearly 700,000 page views every year from outdoor enthusiasts, rural property owners, hunters, farmers, local governments, and even the media. 

Earlier this year, the Division of Forestry officially launched the latest rendition of WisBURN. Users take note—the web address has changed, seamless redirects are in place, and it’s now considered a web-based, interactive mapping application. The updated web address is now: apps.dnr.wi.gov/wisburn

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How Does The DNR Fight Wildfires?

By Catherine Koele, Wisconsin DNR wildfire prevention specialist

Wildfire activity in Wisconsin has been picking up – we’re currently reaching the peak of the fire season in northern Wisconsin. The DNR responded to nearly 70 wildfires over the weekend, and more are expected this week as elevated fire danger continues. Strong gusty winds, warmer temperatures, low humidity and very dry vegetation present challenging firefighting conditions.

So, what happens when a wildfire occurs? The DNR has various suppression tools to fight these unwanted human-caused wildfires. Continue reading “How Does The DNR Fight Wildfires?”

It’s Wildfire Prevention Week! Do You Know Where Wildfires Occur In Wisconsin?

By Catherine Koele, DNR Wildfire Prevention Specialist

It’s a fact – wildfires do happen in Wisconsin! Spring is wildfire season in the Great Lakes region, and the third week of April is designated Wildfire Prevention Week (April 17-23, 2022). Visit the DNR’s Wildfire Dashboard to view real-time and historic wildfires throughout the areas where the DNR has forest fire protection responsibility. They may happen more often and closer to your backyard than you think!

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Spring Yard Cleanup – Safety First!

“Don’t like the weather? Wait five minutes.” A saying that rings true during spring in Wisconsin. While March signals the beginning of spring fire season for us, it can be interrupted by rainfall and snowstorms. Wet weather gives firefighters a chance to recharge and can be an opportunity for people to burn yard debris while it’s safer to do so.

The yard around your home may currently be filled with an assortment of fallen leaves, pine needles and branches. Recent ice storms in northern Wisconsin have contributed significantly to the volume of debris around our homes. If the recent widespread ice storms have damaged the trees on your property, take some time to assess the damage and realistically determine if you can handle the cleanup yourself or if it’s time to call in some professionals. Watch for damaged branches and bent trees that could fall. Prioritize your physical safety before attempting any cleanup activities.

Recent ice storms have caused lots of branches to fall

Many places in Wisconsin have experienced damage to trees due to recent ice storms.

You may now wonder what to do with all this debris leftover after winter and those recent ice storms. Some communities have brush collection services or a site where you can drop off leaves, pine needles and branches. Perhaps there’s enough debris on your property to warrant the rental of a brush chipper. Or, if your property is large enough, creating a brush pile away from buildings could serve as a shelter for wildlife. Larger pieces of hardwood could be cut for future use as firewood or campfire logs. If none of these alternatives works for your situation and your community allows for burning the material, timing your burn around periods of wet weather may be the safer choice.

Before you light that match, take the following precautions:

– Check for burning restrictions and permit requirements first. You can find this information on the DNR burning restrictions webpage or by calling your nearest DNR office or fire department.  – Check the weather forecast. Delay burning if dry or windy weather is predicted. Be aware of your county’s fire danger forecast by calling 1-888-WIS-BURN or searching “burn” on the DNR website.
– Keep your piles small, with the area around the pile cleared of any burnable vegetation.
– Have an attached hose or other water source handy.
– Stay with the fire until you have completed the burn. Make sure it’s out before you leave by dousing the ashes with water and mixing it in. Then, just to be safe, add more water. If any unburned branches or larger pieces of wood remain unburned, check back frequently to make sure this material hasn’t reignited.

Winter burning when the ground is completely snow covered

Taking advantage of wet weather to conduct debris burning is a safer option.

In Wisconsin, spring fire season typically lasts from snowmelt to “green up” (when the grasses are green and leaves are budding out again). Many parts of our state are still experiencing drought conditions, even coming out of winter. Fire officials will be suspending outdoor burning as needed when fire danger conditions become elevated.

For more information, contact Catherine Koele, fire prevention specialist or Jolene Ackerman, wildland urban interface specialist.

WINTER FIRE SAFETY: Outdoor Brush Burning

Winter may seem like a perfectly safe time to burn, but it’s important to practice fire safety year-round to prevent wildfires. When the ground is entirely snow-covered, burning is permitted in DNR Protection Areas without a DNR burning permit for debris piles. As soon as the snow melts, DNR burning permits are required again. Always check with local fire officials before conducting any burning, especially in the spring.

Snow amounts vary across the landscape this time of year. The southern half of the state tends to have little to no snow, while the north looks like a winter wonderland. Just when you think winter is coming to an end, there’s that one lingering snowstorm to make everything white again. Suddenly, spring is finally here to stay, and it’s fire season!

Here are some tips for safe winter burning when the ground is snow-covered:

Winter Burning• Gather and pile brush in an open area away from over-hanging branches.
• If snow is in the forecast, place a tarp over the brush pile to keep it dry and time the burn, so the snow around the pile keeps the fire contained.
• When ready to burn, choose a calm day (less than 8 mph) with complete snow-cover on the ground.
• Snow must be next to the fire and stay there for the duration of the burn.
• Notify the local fire department and dispatch offices to avoid unnecessary fire response.
• Place small amounts of crumpled clean paper into the brush around the base of the pile.
• Light the paper all around the base of the pile. Do not use the fire to dispose of household garbage, rubber tires, oil or other accelerants.
• Using a rake or shovel, turn the debris into the flames to ensure all the materials are consumed.
• Avoid standing in direct contact or downwind of smoke and never leave the fire unattended.

Remember, spring is the peak of Wisconsin’s fire season. So, plan ahead and don’t wait until then to conduct debris burning. Better yet, consider alternatives to burning; compost, chip, leave brush for wildlife habitat or haul away to a transfer site. To obtain a free DNR burning permit or for more fire safety tips, visit this DNR website.

Forests And Fire: If You Love The Outdoors, This Is The Career For You!

Have you ever thought about getting paid to help protect and manage our forests? Finding your path to becoming a forester with wildland firefighting responsibilities starts with loving the outdoors and, of course, TREES! If this field interests you, it’s never too early to start planning your career.

Besides knowing about trees and forestry practices, you need to learn about other parts of the forest ecosystem. We wouldn’t have trees without soil, so some foresters study soil science. And we wouldn’t have soil without rocks and wind and rain and ice, so some study geology and meteorology. And we wouldn’t have big bucks if it weren’t for properly managed forests, so knowing about birds, insects and all kinds of animals is also important for foresters.

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Did You Know These Things About Fire Season?

Spring Is The Most Critical Fire Season In Wisconsin

March through May, Wisconsin’s snow line recedes, winds and temperature increase and plentiful brown grasses, pine needles and leaf litter receptive to fire across the landscape. This combination is the perfect cocktail for wildfires to occur. Add people conducting spring clean-up around their property by burning yard debris to the mix, resulting in many wildfires. 

Planning For The Weather

For most of us, planning for the weather on any day may mean dressing in layers or carrying an umbrella. Measuring the width of the brown band on a woolly bear caterpillar is considered by some to be more reliable than the TV meteorologist.

Planning for the weather takes on a whole new meaning for the men and women involved in wildfire management. They measure various aspects of weather to help determine the likelihood of a wildfire starting and predict how it will behave.

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Know Your Wildfire Risk

Research shows that both homes and their immediate surroundings play a critical role in a home surviving a wildfire. Your home’s building materials, design and landscape choices can increase risks of your home igniting during a wildfire. If a wildfire burns near your home, its intensity can be reduced or even stopped if “fuel” on your property is managed.

To prepare your home and the area around your home,  start with the house and then move into the landscaping. The “home ignition zone” is your home and surroundings out 100-200 feet. Often, a person’s home ignition zone overlaps with their neighbor’s property. In those cases, it’s important to work together to reduce the shared wildfire risk.

Consider these wildfire risk reduction home and landscape guidelines to reduce or change the fuels in your home ignition zone.

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Fire: Keep It Safe – Keep It Clean

State regulations allow individual households to burn small amounts of dry, household rubbish which includes only unrecyclable paper and cardboard, natural fibers, clean, untreated wood and similar materials, and small quantities of dry leaves and plant clippings unless prohibited by local ordinance.

However, fire officials caution that the open burning of many materials produce a variety of air pollutants that is unhealthy for your or your neighbors to inhale. In addition, debris burning is the number one cause of wildfires in Wisconsin, accounting for nearly 30% of the state’s wildfires each year.

If burning is the only option for yard waste, burning permits may be required to burn yard debris piles or for broadcast burning any time the ground is not entirely snow-covered. Permits ensure legal and responsible burning with minimal wildfire risk.

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