2024 WILDFIRE SEASON IS IN FULL SWING
By Vivian LaMoore, Inaajimowin Editor
Wildland fires spread quickly and can easily grow out of control in a matter of minutes and destroy hundreds to thousands of acres of everything in its path, including woodlands, homes, and infrastructure. The Mille Lacs Band DNR Wildland crew is prepared to help mitigate that threat. The Wildland crew is a highly trained group of individuals prepared to battle the blazes should sparks begin to fly.
The Mille Lacs Band Wildland service area is currently in moderate drought conditions. The latest snowfall that occurred in April and recent rains have helped but have not gotten us completely out of drought conditions. According to the DNR, typically about 80% of fires in Minnesota burn in April and May after the snow melts and before vegetation begins to leaf out, otherwise known as green-up. But this year, everything is ahead of schedule.
Due to lack of snow during the past winter and continued drought conditions brought on by lack of rain last summer and fall, much of Minnesota is experiencing various levels of drought. Drought conditions mean there is less fuel moisture and that fuels dry out faster creating higher potential for wildfire and more severe fire conditions. Low fuel moisture also means that larger fuels ignite more easily.
With less fuel moisture and faster drying out of fuels, the risk of wildfires increases. That means the Wildland crews typically do not respond to out-of-area fires, focusing only on the Mille Lacs Community and ensuring proper resources are available.
Last year, the wildland crews responded to 13 recorded fires in the area, with eight reported since January 1, 2024. “We started to see fires in late February this year. Most years we wouldn’t see fires until mid to late March,” Jake Horbacz, Forester of the DNR Wildlands Program said. “We have provided aide on fires as well.”
The Mille Lacs Wildland fire program also assists the Bureau of Indian Affair in fighting wildfires across the country as well as providing assistance to local fire events as needed.
To prepare for emergencies, people should keep their yards clean and avoid burning debris on dry windy days.
Below is a link to fire wise information homeowners can use to better prepare and prevent wildfires near their homes:
• https://www.nfpa.org/education-and-research/wildfire/ preparing-homes-for-wildfire
Band members can contact the DNR office for a wildfire home safety risk assessment. This would include some specific actions that could be taken by home owners to reduce wildfire risk to property.
The recent rains are giving us some reprieve and ushering in green-up. There are still a lot of areas that are of significant wildfire risk. As of now we still have moderate drought conditions but if we continue to see consistent rainfall this spring and summer, we can hopefully get out of these drought conditions.
Pay close attention when the Minnesota DNR issues a Red Flag warning. A Red Flag Warning means fires can spread quickly and easily progress out of control under the current weather conditions, including strong wind gusts and low relative humidity. Residents should not burn in counties where a Red Flag Warning is in effect and should check any recent burning they may have done to ensure the fire is completely out. The DNR will not issue or activate open burning permits for large vegetative debris burning during the Red Flag Warning, and campfires are discouraged.
"Any spark could become a wildfire under Red Flag conditions,” said Karen Harrison, DNR wildfire prevention specialist