 Well, with the late winter thaw, wildfire season is only just beginning for northern and central Minnesota. Our Josh Peterson shows us why conditions are just right for potentially dangerous season. The long winter may have just wrapped up, but now another season is upon us. With warm temperatures, low humidity and high winds, it can be a dangerous combination when it comes to wildfires. The Bemidji Fire Department has been responding to multiple fires over the past week, prompting the department to increase the threat level to very high. Our snow is quickly going. Our fire danger continues to increase on a regular basis. We're very high today in the Bemidji area. We expect it to remain very high here, probably throughout the weekend. Wildfires have been happening all across the region, but as wooded areas continue to dry out, the Minnesota DNR is preparing for a busy season. We're about a month behind schedule. We usually have about 75-80 fires a year, and they said we're at 14 right now. With the late wildfire season we're experiencing, looks can be extremely deceiving. Where you can see snow still remains on the outskirts of this field, the immediate ground is extremely dry, creating a dangerous recipe for a wildfire. Just walk along any road or field and you can hear that crunch, proving just how dry the ground already is. I think with the later season now where we're having snow piles and fires in the same viewpoint, and that's creating a little false sense of security here. While permit burning is currently still allowed, if your burn gets out of control, officials say to call authorities immediately. Much better for you to call right away and keep that fire small than to try to put it out yourself and potentially have that fire get away and become bigger. With minimal rain in the forecast, the wildfire threat will continue until we see the landscape green up. In Bemidji, Josh Peterson, Lakeland News. At this time, Beltrami County Emergency Management is asking residents to refrain from burning. Currently, most of the Lakeland viewing area is classified as high-fire danger. If you enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Lakeland PBS.