NECEDAH, WI (WSAU) – Two wildfires were attended to by Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) fire departments and municipal agencies, one in Juneau County and another near Fort McCoy.
According to officials, the fire started in the Township of Necedah, and evacuations took place last night between 19th St West, 12th Ave, and 11th Ave. The Veteran’s Hall in Necedah served as an evacuation center. There have been no reported injuries. The cause of the fire is still being investigated.
The fire spread through oak, jack pine, and grass. Firefighters made progress by constructing containment lines using equipment such as engines and bull dozers.
The Southwest District Incident Management Team was activated, and a command post had been established at the Necedah Townhall.
Wisconsin DNR Incident Management Team spokesperson Mike Hillstrom told WKOW that the Jack Pine fire is now contained and controlled, with first responders monitoring for flare ups. He said it’s burned roughly 87 acres.
Hillstrom continued by saying the fire near Fort McCoy is about 50% contained and has burned around 2,800 acres of land so far. Most of the land are pine and oak forests outside of the base, but he said some neighborhoods could have to evacuate.
If evacuations take place, residents will be sent to the Warrens Community Center, located on Pine Street.
Due to today’s weather conditions, the DNR has suspended outdoor burning in the area. Warm temperatures, low relative humidity, and very windy conditions are all considered contributors to the fire.
As a result, the DNR will continue to prohibit burning with all DNR-issued burning permits and is urging the public to exercise extreme caution when engaging in any actions that may result in a wildland fire.
These two fires are part of the 21 wildfires the DNR responded to over the last 24 hours.
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