A fast-moving brush fire near the Village of Bristol and the Town of Burlington on Monday jolted parts of southeast Kenosha County, leading to precautionary evacuations and a tangle of road closures as crews hustled to get the flames under control.
County officials urged drivers and residents to steer clear of the area while firefighters worked the scene. At least one field fire was reported along the 7600 block of Fish Hatchery Road in Burlington.
According to TMJ4, the Kenosha County Sheriff's Office asked people to avoid the area south of 116th Street between 214th and 208th Avenue and requested that several nearby homes evacuate as a precaution. Traffic was routed away from those roads as engines and crews moved in.
TMJ4's Walworth County reporter Taj Simmons, who was on the ground, told the station that "the fire was under control and almost out by around 4:30 p.m." TMJ4 also reports that the Racine County Sheriff's Office responded to a sizeable field fire in Burlington's 7600 block of Fish Hatchery Road, with people urged to avoid that stretch as well.
Why spring fires spike and how to stay safe
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources notes that spring is Wisconsin's peak wildfire season, with a large share of annual wildfires occurring from March through May. Debris burning is the leading cause, and dry conditions combined with gusty winds can quickly turn a seemingly harmless brush or leaf pile burn into a larger incident.
DNR guidance urges residents to obtain a free burning permit where required, check daily county restrictions before lighting any brush or leaf piles, and follow all safe-burning rules. More specifics are available on the DNR's burning permits page.
What's next
As of late Monday afternoon, officials had not released a cause or an acreage estimate for the Bristol-Burlington fires. Residents in the affected area are advised to keep an eye on local sheriff's office updates and TV news reports for the latest on road closures and any additional evacuation notices.
