Five northern Wisconsin counties are under a “red flag” warning for extreme wildfire conditions Tuesday. The warning comes the day after a wildfire forced the temporary evacuation of 40 homes in Juneau County.
The Department of Natural Resources, in conjunction with the National Weather Service, issues red flag warnings when weather factors come together to create especially dangerous wildfire conditions. Those conditions include hot temperatures, very low humidity, gusty winds and exceptionally dry vegetation.
Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, Sawyer and Washburn counties are under the red flag warning until 9 p.m. Tuesday.
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The entirety of the state is under elevated fire risk warnings, with all but the 12 counties in the far southeast facing high or very high fire danger.
On Monday, a fire in Juneau County burned 130 acres and caused the evacuation of homes in the communities of Kingston and Mather before the fire was controlled in the evening. Two fires in Burnett County burned 60 acres and a structure.
According to the DNR, there have been more than 130 wildfires in the state over the last week.
The DNR is asking the public to be especially careful with any activities that could ignite a fire, like using outdoor grills, chainsaws or off-road vehicles with hot exhaust systems that have the potential to throw off sparks. The agency is urging people to check for burning restrictions in their communities.
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