It’s wildfire season and Leelanau County fire marshal Robert VanDyke is urging residents to observe caution.

Last Thursday, March 29, firefighters from the Solon-Centerville, Elmwood and Suttons Bay-Bingham fire departments responded to a two-acre brushfire in Solon Township on Weisler Road near Gallivan Road. Two nearby homes narrowly escaped damage.

The fire was quickly extinguished, but firefighters using brush trucks spent hours spraying the area to ensure the fire stayed out. The cause of the blaze remained under investigation last week.

High winds and dry conditions on March 29 prompted the National Weather Service to issue a fire danger alert – something VanDyke does routinely this time of year. VanDyke is head of the county building Inspections Department, which includes a “fire prevention division.”

“If burning debris is necessary, citizens should first obtain a burn permit,” VanDyke said. The state requires a burn permit whenever the ground is not snow covered.

“It is a misdemeanor to burn without one,” VanDyke noted.

In Leelanau County, burn permits can be obtained for the entire county except for Leelanau Township by calling the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) field office at 922-5328. For Leelanau Township residents, the number to call for a burn permit is 922-5328.

The state DNR announced late this month that northern Michigan residents may also obtain burn permits online or by calling a new toll free number. The web site for obtaining burn permits is located at www.michigan.gov/burnpermit online. The new toll-free number is 866-922-2876.

Leelanau County residents seeking more information about bonfires or recreational fires can contact the Leelanau County Office of Fire Prevention at 256-9806. In an emergency, of course, residents should call 9-1-1.