Wisconsin’s officials are implementing a new requirement for residents in 13 counties to acquire burning permits due to ongoing dry conditions.
The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced that starting just after midnight on Tuesday, residents in areas it oversees—including all of Columbia, Crawford, Green Lake, Marquette, Portage, Richland, Sauk, Waupaca, and Waushara counties, along with parts of Octone, Dane, Grant, and Iowa counties—will need to obtain burning permits.

Those living in these counties must secure an annual permit for burning in containers, debris piles, or within grass and wooded areas unless the ground is covered in snow.
However, permits are not necessary for campfires meant for cooking or providing warmth.
Despite this, the DNR cautions residents to exercise extreme care and to avoid lighting campfires during daytime hours.

Typically, the DNR restricts burning during the period from January 1 to May 31 whenever the ground lacks snow cover.
This year’s lack of rainfall across the state, combined with dry leaves and vegetation, has heightened concerns about the potential for wildfires, prompting the agency’s decision to enforce these permit requirements.