DNR suspends burn permits in Menominee County amid extreme fire danger
Burn permits are suspended in Menominee County, and a brush pile now could become a wildfire fast in dry woods with gusts near 35 mph.
Menominee County residents who planned to burn brush, debris or yard waste had to stop once the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources suspended burn permits across 43 counties because fire danger reached Very High. The warning came with a clear message: dry vegetation, low humidity, warmer temperatures and wind gusts expected to top 35 miles per hour could turn a controlled burn into a fast-moving emergency.
That risk is especially sharp in Menominee County, where forest land, rural roads and private properties sit close together. The county covers 357.62 square miles of land, and much of daily life is tied to timber, recreation and rural living. In that setting, a spark from a burn pile, lawn mower, chainsaw or trailer chain can threaten homes, vehicles, road shoulders and forest parcels before anyone has time to react.
The DNR said the suspension should remain in place until significant rain arrives, which means the restriction could last longer than a weekend forecast. That leaves homeowners, property managers and contractors with spring cleanup work to delay or reroute. The safer move is to skip outdoor burning altogether, use another disposal method for brush and yard waste, watch equipment closely, work during cooler parts of the day when possible, secure trailer chains so they do not drag and spark, and call 911 immediately if a fire starts.
Menominee was included for the same reason many northern Wisconsin counties were: the landscape is wooded, dry and vulnerable. The Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin says its history in the region dates back 10,000 years and that its land base is now a little more than 235,000 acres, making wildfire prevention a shared concern for tribal and non-tribal residents alike. A small fire in Oconto County was another reminder that the danger was already real, not theoretical.
The DNR said burn permits are required in forest fire protection areas when the ground is not completely snow-covered, but they do not apply inside incorporated cities and villages, which may have their own rules. Residents can check restrictions after 9 a.m. through the DNR’s burn-restriction system or by calling 1-888-WIS-BURN, 1-888-947-2876, before lighting anything. The agency’s April 23 update showed why it moved so quickly: 283 wildfires had already burned 704 acres in Wisconsin so far in 2026.
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