Wisconsin saw a record number of fires in January and February this year due to a lack of snow as climate change has set the stage for more wildfires. Wisconsin averages 864 wildfires that burn around 1,800 acres each year, according to the state Department of Natural Resources. Jim Bernier, the agency’s forest fire section manager, told the Natural Resources Board last week that the state’s 10-year average is trending up every year. Bernier said that’s due to changing climate conditions, which have driven significant droughts in the last two years. He said that’s extended the season beyond when most fires burn in March, April and May… “We’ve never had this many fires in January and February ever in the state of Wisconsin,” he said.