Wildfire danger is expected to be high across northern Michigan this Memorial Day weekend, reports the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

The holiday weather forecast is predicted to be warm and dry, making for a perfect mix for wildfire.

"Earlier cold spells have slowed forest green up and leaf out in many places while pine needle moistures are at their lowest point of any time during the fire season," said Scott Heather DNR state wildfire supervisor.

"Low fuel moisture raises the threat of a crown fire spreading rapidly through the tree tops which is always a possibility under current fire conditions," Heather said in a statement.

So far this fire season the DNR has responded to 180 wildfires caused by the usual activities like careless leaf burning and abandoned campfires, as well as the less common dumping of stove ashes and torching of insect nests.

Paul Kollmeyer, DNR wildfire prevention specialist, confirmed most wildfires can be traced back to citizen carelessness with fire.

"Each year when the weather is dry during holiday weekends we respond to a lot of human-caused fires," Kollmeyer said.

"With the increase of outdoor activity during this week, and the needles and leaves igniting so easily, it's a combination that elevates the chances of a fire getting started," Kollmeyer said.

Kollmeyer urged everyone to be extremely careful with any flame source.

Experts offer the following tips:

- Contact your local fire official before burning to obtain information about the burning regulations in your area.

- All burn barrels must be covered with a weighted metal cover, with holes no larger than 3/4 inch - it's the law.

- Consider alternatives to burning - leaves and grass make a fine mulch for gardens, or they can be composted; newspapers and many other every-day household items may be recycled. Recycling and composting eliminates the risk of wildfire and the smoke that comes with burning of trash and yard wastes.

- Always use the ashtray when smoking in your vehicle. Matches tossed from a car window, farm vehicle, or off-road vehicle (ORV) can ignite leaves or grass, causing a wildfire. Never grind a cigarette, cigar, or pipe tobacco out on a stump or log.

- Use a spark-arresting screen on your fireplace or woodstove chimney. Use a wire mesh grating, with holes no larger than 1/2 inch. Make it a practice of keeping your roof clear of leaves and other debris. This will prevent sparks from falling on your roof and igniting leaves and pine needles trapped in roof valleys and gutters.

- Maintain a ring of safety around your home to protect it from wildfires. Keep grass mowed within 30-feet of all buildings - a mowed lawn will help protect your home from wildfires. Thin out trees within 30 feet of any building so that their crowns don't touch, and trim the bottom branches of all evergreen trees to six feet above the ground.

- Make sure your house number is visible from the street, so fire fighters can locate your home quickly. Keep your driveway wide, accessible, and in good condition for fire trucks to get to your home. Plan safe evacuation routes in case of a large wildfire. Have more than one means of getting to your home.

- Extinguish all outdoor fires properly. Drown fires with plenty of water, then stir. Continue adding water and stirring until everything is cold to the touch. Dunk charcoal in water until cold. Do not throw live charcoal on the ground and leave it; it will smolder and could start a wildfire.

- Always build your campfire in a metal or masonry fire ring. If none are available, scrape away any burnable material until you get to mineral soil, which will not burn. Keep your fire small and have an adequate water supply to extinguish it properly. Make sure every unburned piece is cold to the touch before you leave.

- Never leave a fire unattended. Sparks can blow into leaves or grass and quickly spread. Keep a shovel and charged garden hose nearby while burning so that they can be quickly used to extinguish a fire in an emergency. Maintain a 10-foot diameter circle around your debris pile or burn barrel clear of tall grass and other burnable material.

- Always store ashes in a metal container with a tight-fitting lid. Do not place them in a paper bag, cardboard box, or plastic bucket. When dumping ashes outdoors, place them on snow or dispose of them on a rainy day. Wet them thoroughly with water to be sure all coals are out completely.

- Be careful with matches. Keep all matches and lighters out of sight and reach of children. In only 10 percent of the child-caused fires do children have to work to obtain matches or a lighter.

- Parents, caution your children about playing with matches or lighters. Teach them that fire is a useful tool, not a plaything. Also teach them to report any fire they see, or any child playing with fire, to an adult.

- Keep all internal combustion engines used outdoors properly tuned. Such engines must also have a properly functioning spark arrestor. Poorly tuned engines without spark arresting mufflers can emit carbon sparks, causing a wildfire.

Remember that if adequate precautions were not taken and the fire escapes, it can cost you suppression expenses and charges for damages resulting from the fire.

Prevent wildfires this holiday weekend.