Living on acreage whether open plain, prairie or wooded can be peaceful most of the year. But springtime can bring some unwanted action Our limited snowfall and lack of spring rains so far has put all of Minnesota in a state of drought. This is not a good situation for our first day of spring in the north and east Twin Cities metro.
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| Wildfire Near Carlos Avery Wolf Sanctuary |
Those gusty winds that are perfect for flying kites are not so great when a spark from a train (or carelessly tossed cigarette) hits the dry grass and flames spread like wildfire. Acres can burn before these fires can be brought under control. There are no fire hydrants on every corner in most of the third ring suburbs. Water has to be trucked or flown in to fight the fires. The Department of Natural Resources reminds all Minnesotans to be mindful of fire dangers in the spring.
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| Controlled Burn in Carlos Avery |
Over the years living in Anoka County, I have had the opportunity to witness an out of control wildfire near Carlos Avery as well as a controlled burn in the same area. It can be hard to tell the difference. Both create a lot of smoke but while the first is very frightening and chaotic, a controlled burn looks more ominous than it really is.
Scheduling burning helps control dangers wildfires thus protecting homes in the long run. It eliminates the dried vegetation on days with low winds in a very controlled way.
Training has started for firefighting recruits and students in northern Minnesota. Training for a controlled burn is quite interesting. They have to keep the firefighters save while keeping the flames contained. Students and recruits were trained near Duluth last week. Read more about their adventures
) forecasted for this week so hopefully it will keep the fires at a minimum.
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