(Waupun) Area fire officials are reminding citizens that outdoor burning this time of year can be dangerous. That is due to extremely dry conditions, low relative humidity, and that grass as well as weeds are still dormant. This message comes after a controlled burn got out of control at N11777 County Road I in the town of Chester Wednesday.
When crews arrived on scene at around 2:20pm, approximately 10 acres had burned and fire was being pushed to the north and west into a large cattail marsh. Firefighters aggressively battled the line of fire in multiple areas and were able to bring it under control at approximately 3:55pm.
The fire was extinguished by 4:05pm and crews continued working on overhaul for another 45 minutes. It is estimated that 45-to-50 acres were burned. While no structures were affected by the fire, a deer stand was lost and there was damage to a fence. No firefighters or individuals at the scene were injured during the incident.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources urges the public to check the fire danger before conducting outdoor burning activities. Nearly 170 wildfires have burned over 450 acres already this year, according to the DNR; four times more than a typical year at this time.
Click HERE for the DNR’s Fire Danger webpage.
