ROSCOMMON CO./CRAWFORD CO. -- The Department of Natural Resources says this spring could be a very active season for wildfires.

And to top that off, there will be fewer firefighters on the front line.

The DNR says this year, they have fewer fire officers than they have had in a long time.

"I would definitely suggest insurance.  Property and home insurance," said Nick Schade.

Schade had a home right in the middle of last year's Meridian Boundary Fire. 

One year later, he's still cleaning his 10-acre fire-ruined mess up.  Many of the dead trees are Jack Pines.

“It's probably the best fuel for a forest fire," admitted Schade.

Last year, it was Jack Pine trees that were the fuel for the Meridian Boundary Fire. 

"If it's a windy day, a dry day, a sunny day, you need to be careful about any burning you're going to do," said Jim Fisher.

DNR Resource Protection Manager Jim Fisher recently met with the National Weather Service to discuss the concerns. He says this year, it could be a wet April followed by a dry May that could be a recipe for the wildfire.

As the spring approaches, although the sign may not show it, the warning is there.  But the DNR has a larger concern, and that's the number of fire officers they have on staff.

“We try to keep our fire officer numbers around 100, that's what the department recommends, but we're down at 73 officers right now because of early retirements and budget issues, so our numbers are down quite a bit," said Fisher.

In fact, there are field offices around Northern Michigan with no fire officers on site.  Indian River and Pellston are two examples.  For Lee Osterland, who was the incident commander of last year's Meridian Boundary Fire, he says tactics and strategies won't change, but managing staff will be tough.

“We're always constantly trying to guard against being too short, but that's the reality we're in right now," said Osterland.

One way they'll battle that problem is by temporarily relocating the staff they do have.

Jim Fisher says he has told his fire officers to have a bag packed because if there's fire danger out of their normal area, most likely they'll be called to assist.

Mutual aid is nothing new.

However; this year, fisher says the officers will likely stay longer periods.  Weeks, instead of just days.

You can help prevent forest fires.

The DNR says if you're burning brush, make sure it's not a high-danger day and keep a shovel, rake, and water nearby just in case the fire becomes uncontained.

To visit the DNR Fire Management Website, CLICK HERE.

For Information about a firewise community, CLICK HERE.