Such was last winter's snow that it's shortening the window for controlled burns
MINNEAPOLIS -- Brush fire season has arrived, but it's also happens to be the same time when agencies use controlled burns to help clean up poor conditions in nature.
This year that timing hasn't matched up due to the winter weather. So what does that mean? One thing to know right off is that not every fire is a fit of flames.
"When we do have good days for burning, expect to see a lot of activity with prescribed burning with a number of agencies on those days," Minnesota Department of Nature wildfire prevention supervisor Allissa Reynolds said.
Controlled burns are a valuable tool to help with fuel reduction, especially useful during the spring season. According to NOAA, the probability of a large wildfire is relatively high across Minnesota. Some areas to the north nearly 50%.
This year, prescribed fires are delayed.
"This year, with the conditions that we've had, and the snowpack holding on well into April, we've seen a very shortened window for accomplishing prescribed burns," Reynolds said. "A lot of that activity is going to be compressed into a couple days or a couple weeks depending on where you're located across the state."
That piled all that work into a sliver of spring. And not only did the snow delay the start, it will be the cause for truncating the burn season.
"The amount of snow that we've had over the winter, the frost was pretty minimal. So we're seeing more soil heating and the greening up of the grass is expected to happen pretty quickly. That is going to shorten the back end as well," Reynolds said.
The net outcome is more dry fuels exposed and fewer controlled acres burned this season.
"With that soil moisture and fuel moisture increasing as the summer goes on, it's more challenging to meet objectives to get those grasses to burn up as it would be earlier in the season," Reynolds said.
The DNR says this year the limited time will restrict the targets for land restoration.
