Spring Brings Fire Risk

A pillar of thick black smoke could be seen for miles about mid-afternoon on April 8 as area fire departments responded to a garage fire at the home of Brett Reetz, 9000 W. Meadow Road, Baileys Harbor. Many of the firefighters hiked a quarter-mile down the narrow dirt road into the property. The garage and a boat on a trailer outside of the garage were destroyed. The cause is under investigation.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources sent a reminder this week that spring is Wisconsin’s most active wildfire season. Already this year there have been 61 wildland fires that have burned 227 acres. “We have the ingredients for fire weather,” said Wildland Fire Specialist Catherine Koele. “Those ingredients are sustained winds with even stronger gusts, low humidity and warm temperatures. It’s also called spring.”

Check for fire conditions and burn permit restrictions at dnr.wi.gove/topic/ForestFire.