VIDEO: On a hot May morning, Garrett Lubbers is going about his daily routine.
He’s checking his truck and gear to make sure it’s in good working order so he can respond quickly if called to a fire.
“I’m not going to lie, the pager tone is pretty high pitched so it definitely gets your blood pumping,” Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources forest ranger and firefighter Garrett Lubbers said. “I usually come to the truck, take a couple of deep breaths before I get in and then take a look at the map to figure out where I’m going.”
Based in Oconto Falls, Lubbers and other DNR crews in the state faced an elevated risk of wildfires earlier this week.
“There was hot, dry, weather and we haven’t had decent rain fall in a week-and-half to two weeks,” Lubber said. “We were kind of busy last week. We probably ran half a dozen fires in the county.”