(ABC 6 News) – As the ground warms and vegetation dries out, it’s the perfect time for firefighters to sharpen their skills. The rising temps of spring also bring a rising risk of wildfires, which is why a collection of state and private wildland firefighters gathered in Rochester for their annual refresher training.

“During the winter, obviously there’s no prescribed burns happening so this is a good way to get fire back on the forefront and think about different things,” said Mike Wachholz, a forester for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

That includes reviewing best practices, checking out gear, and generally getting back into the groove of planning how to approach different situations.

“Getting ready to anticipate things not going to plan,” said Wachholz. “Cause they don’t always go to plan.”

Dozens of the student firefighters specialize in what’s called prescribed burns – the intentional burning of a given area to promote a healthy environment and one of the common activities of these organizations in the spring and fall.

Gretchen Miller is the central region wildlife manager for the DNR. She oversees the use of prescribed burns in an area covering the Twin Cities down to southeast Minnesota.

“It’s a management tool that historically has been applied to the landscape even before we were here to manage the land,” she said.

To Miller, prescribed burning isn’t just a science.

“It’s also an art and it requires this annual refresher to remind us that what we’re doing is hazardous work.”

Then there’s the other side of fire – the wild side.

The Conservation Corps of Minnesota and Iowa has crews across both states, ready to respond to wildfire emergencies and help other agencies on the ground.

“Usually it’s camp duties, logistics,” said Eddie Dittmer, a field coordinator for the organization. “Or after the fire is mostly contained or parts of it are contained, they’ll go out and help out with mop up.”

With the extra dry winter we had this year, this training will be extra important come this spring.

“Not knowing the precipitation and just kind of preparing for it to be dry and knowing that there’s gonna be more maybe red flag days for prescribed burning,” said Dittmer. “We’re just kind of preparing for it all really.”

According to the DNR, Minnesota sees more than 1,500 wildfires each year, with 90% of those being caused by people.

Burning restrictions have already begun in several central Minnesota counties – and permits for certain types of burning are required in much of the rest of the state, including throughout southeast Minnesota.

There are some general tips you can follow to decrease the risk of causing a wildfire at home:

• Keep track of weather conditions in your area, including indicators of red flag warnings. Low humidity and high winds can easily dry out ground vegetation and provide extra fuel to a fire.
• Outdoor fires should be kept small and contained. Anything larger than 3 feet tall and 3 feet wide could require a permit if restrictions are in place.
• The space around an outdoor fire should also be kept clear of flammable debris, in case embers land outside the containment or the wind shifts the direction of the flames.
• Be aware of any restrictions on burning. You can check the DNR website for updates.