(ABC 6 News) — The recent streak of dry weather has raised concerns among farmers and environmental specialists alike.

Despite a soaking spring, the lack of rain this fall has added a potential fire risk for the harvest season.

In some ways, the dry weather can be a boon to farmers as they harvest, but it also carries a constant risk whenever they go into the fields.

Farmers can feel the effects of dry weather in different ways. Smaller operations like B’s Farmery, a vegetable producer on the outskirts of Rochester, are less likely to suffer a lot of the common problems with drought this late in the season.

“We, relatively speaking, use a lot less water. Our irrigation techniques can be much more detailed and advanced, so that they are more efficient,” said Bridget Dolan-Lawler, a farmer in Rochester. “And as such, when we have stuff like this come up where it’s very dry and such, we’re not harvesting with equipment that might start on fire.”

However, the bigger operations that are more common across Minnesota feel the dryness a lot more.

In some ways, it can be helpful. Dry corn means farmers save money on having to dry it out and dry ground makes it easier to move combine harvesters around.

But with that hot, heavy machinery out there, the potential for fire is always on the mind.

“There’s a lot of dust blowing around, there’s small leaves, and there’s a big hot engine up there and it’s confined,” said Pine Island farmer Keith Maxson. “So, if you get stalks of stuff in there, it’ll land on that exhaust manifold, and you’ve got a fire.”

This season has seen an increased risk of fire danger so far thanks to the lack of rain we’ve had since spring and early summer. The likelihood of further drought could spell trouble later in the year.

“Right now, in the extended forecast, we’re not really seeing that significant precipitation that we would need to get out of this kind of fire danger,” said Karen Harrison, a Wildfire Prevention Specialist at the Minnesota DNR.

In the meantime, constant vigilance and extra care are the best defense to nature’s fiery offense, and with little to no rain in the forecast, burn restrictions could become more widespread.

The DNR will be paying extra close attention to conditions after the first frost in Pine Island. For more information on fire danger and burn restrictions currently in place in Minnesota, click here.