A small brush fire in the Town of Brussels on Monday is a reminder that even though several inches of snow have melted in the past two weeks, things are drying out.

The Brussels-Union-Gardner Fire Department responded to the fire on Dump Road just before 6 p.m. According to Assistant Fire Chief Jim Wautier, the resident had a valid permit for burning brush, but when the wind shifted, the ashes spread and ignited about a 50-foot area of nearby grass.

It took about 30 minutes for firefighters to extinguish the blaze and water the surrounding area so the property owner could finish what was still burning.

Wautier said burning smaller piles, using a burn barrel and paying close attention are some of the ways to prevent a brush fire from growing beyond control while conditions remain dry.

Even though Door County is one of 10 counties at a low fire danger level, Wautier said the next two to three weeks could be prime for brush fires because of drying conditions. Brown, Kewaunee, Manitowoc and nine other counties are at a moderate fire danger level, while the rest of the state is listed as high.