Sister Bay/Liberty Grove Fire Chief Chris Hecht is advising homeowners to hold off on some of the final touches of their yardwork after his department tended to another brush fire on Thursday. The fire department responded to the 50-foot-by-50-foot plot of land on Highview Road in Ellison Bay, where windy conditions caused a fire started by the homeowner to burn brush to grow out of control. Firefighters on the scene were able to put out the fire quickly before it spread further. Hecht says the homeowner was unaware of the countywide burn ban placed by Door County Emergency Services earlier this month. He understands that many property owners are trying to close up their cottages and second homes for the winter. Still, Hecht advises that they find other ways of disposing of their leaves and brush due to the extremely dry conditions.

Under the countywide burn ban, only small fires for warming and cooking are allowed. Although The Weather Channel shows four days of rain on the horizon over the next two weeks, it is unknown if it will be enough to break the current drought conditions.