DNR, Arbor Vitae fire respond to brush fire near Pickerel Lake

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Arbor Vitae Fire and Rescue responded to a fire near Pickerel Lake in St. Germain during the early evening of July 26.

Some residents, like Nancy Ver Kuilen, were boating on the lake when they noticed large puffs of smoke rising from surrounding trees that are part of the Northern Highland American Legion State Forest. 

“That fire, what I know is, a couple of my staff responded and based on what they found and investigated, it was a little over a tenth of an acre in size,” said John Gillen, forester ranger with the DNR. “And they felt it was likely caused from lightening that occurred probably, potentially weeks in advance of when it was called and reported.”

Gillen said the fire didn’t result in much damage to the forest, though he did say it took awhile to “completely extinguish it.” 

“It mainly burned into ... the soil itself more than anything,” he said. 

Gillen said two members of his staff tended the fire for around three hours. Two days later, he said, two members of his staff went to the scene of the fire to check on it.

“They actually thought they could still smell a little bit of burning material,” Gillen said. “Which can certainly be possible when it burns into the soil and the earth like that.”

Trevor Greene may be reached via email at [email protected].