Burning permits have been suspended by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
State DNR officials said in a March 27 press release that the action is being taken to protect the health of safety of people in the Wisconsin during the state coronavirus Safer at Home order. A DNR forester said efforts are being made to reduce stress on emergency services personnel and to reduce potential breathing irritations that might be caused by smoke.
“All burning of debris in barrels, burning of debris piles on the ground, grass or wooded areas is prohibited at this time,” the news release said.
Burning permits are required by the DNR in many parts of the state to conduct legal outdoor burning. They also are required by the DNR in DNR forest-protections areas to conduct the burning of legal materials when the ground isn’t completely snow-covered.
The permits don’t apply within incorporated cities and villages; DNR officials said those municipalities often have their own burning-permit requirements. Some townships also might have permit requirements that are more strict than the DNR’s permit requirements, according to the press release.
“Most debris fires occur in the spring, after the snow-cover melts and before vegetation-greening,” the news release said. “Spring is when people are outside doing yard clean-up and then choosing to burn leaves, brush and pine needles.”
— Scott Schultz, from a DNR press release
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