OCONTO COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – With no active flames left, the U.S. Forest Service spent much of Wednesday monitoring the remnants of the “Bear Paw” fire.
“We’re using UTVs with water, as well as chainsaws, to start working some of the areas that are still burning and pull a lot of the heat away from the line,” said Peter Solin, fire engine captain for the U.S. Forest Service. “It’s primarily stuff still smoldering from overnight.”
Thankfully, no injuries were reported, as the fire was in a remote area of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest in Oconto County.
The fire burned near ground level, preserving the forest’s canopy. It burned 26 acres, which the U.S. Forest Service says is a substantial size for the area.
On Wednesday, the fire danger level in Oconto County remained in the “very high” category. As a result of dry conditions, the Wisconsin DNR says rain is desperately needed to decrease the risk for wildfires.
“Really need some good steady rain, frequent rain, in order to kind of get us out of this stretch,” said DNR Wildfire Prevention Specialist Catherine Koele. “You know, fire danger changes daily in Wisconsin, so it’s really important for the public to be aware that even though we might have a small rain event this weekend, it could put us right back into some dry conditions next week.”
According to the DNR, there’s been more than 900 wildfires in 2024 to date — which the DNR says is on par with previous years.
In the past week, there have been more than two dozen wildfires in the state. The majority of fires this year were caused by burning debris or sparked by equipment.
A cause of the Bear Paw fire remains under investigation.
While it could have ended up being much worse, leaders want people to be mindful of our current conditions.
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