It’s dry.

Burn permits for brush and yard debris are not being issued in much of the Upper Peninsula due to drought conditions, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources stated Thursday in a news release.

“The western portion of the Upper Peninsula is starting to see drought conditions, and fires that have occurred are taking a significant amount of time to extinguish,” said Paul Rogers, a DNR fire prevention specialist.

Permits will not be issued until significant rainfall has occurred, the DNR advised.

Locally, the U.S. Drought Monitor on Thursday listed severe drought conditions in Menominee County as well as southern Dickinson and Iron counties and moderate drought to the north.

In bordering Wisconsin counties, also in severe drought, the DNR rates the fire danger as high.

In Michigan, check the burn permit website at https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/managing-resources/forestry/fire/burn-permit to see whether burning is allowed before you start a fire.

Wisconsin permit information is available at https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/forestfire/permits.

For bowhunters at deer camp or others enjoying the outdoors, cooking and warming fires such as campfires are still allowed. If you do have a campfire, make sure to have water and a rake or shovel nearby. Never leave a fire unattended and always make sure to drench the fire with water, stir it and drench it again before you leave it.

If you’re using off-road vehicles or power equipment outside, always watch for sparks and keep hot engines away from dry grass or leaves.

“Everybody wants to get out and enjoy the good weather, just do it with an eye toward fire safety,” Rogers said.

For more fire safety tips, go to Michigan.gov/FireManagement.