Spring into wildfire season

Sunday, March 15, 2015
Bridget Curran - WQOW reporter

Eau Claire (WQOW) - The DNR is reminding Wisconsin that wildfire season is in session.

Right now, the DNR is gearing up for what can happen when there isn't much moisture coming down. "Dry grasses in the spring are one of the major first fuels out there that can start on fire," Eau Claire Forestry Team Leader Steve Edge said.  "In the spring, we see lower humidities drop and also we can get some windy conditions."

The DNR said the current conditions are perfect for wildfire, which has the Altoona Fire Department preparing as well. "We're planning for more fires this year just because it's dryer, we had less snowfall this year, there was less precipitation, so we're expecting there to be more grass fires this year," said Chief Deputy Troy Stoneberg.

Burning  debris is the number one cause of wildfires in Wisconsin, according to the DNR. They also said that over 60 percent of those fires happen during the spring months. "There's two primary reasons we see wildfires. Maybe they get occupied in the front yard and working on it, and they've got a burn pile in the back and they aren't watching it. The other reason is, the coal bed that it creates can be inches or even feet deep depending on how much you burn and that can hold active coals, we've seen up to weeks or even longer in duration," Edge said.

The DNR recommends alternative ways to get rid of excess waste. "Those include composting, piling out of the way and just letting mother nature break it down and decay, or some municipalities have brush drop off sights and we encourage using those whenever possible," Edge said.

Daily fire conditions across the state can be found on the DNR's website.

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