Even though temperatures are cool for this time of the year, the fire danger remains very high in the northern two-thirds of Wisconsin.
DNR wildfire prevention specialist Catherine Koele in Woodruff says it's very dry and it looks like things will stay that way. She says the northern half of the state has not 'greened' up yet, causing concern...
"We at peak for fire season as far as the northern forests. We're going to see fires in soils with a sandy surface, then they move up into the crowns of the trees and that makes it more challenging from a suppression standpoint..."
Koele says they've had more than 270 wildfires across the state, including one of more than 200 acres. She says most of the fires begin with people burning debris even though burning permits have been suspended by the state. Koele says the size of the fires are determined by the conditions around the blazes...
"We can't afford to have any fire on the landscape. It does cause our firefighters to travel outside the geograhpic area. it brings them into close proximity to one another. We do have safe practices in place as the result of COVID-19 but we don't want to have to use them..."
Koele says while controlled campfires are allowed, they're discouraged at this time.
