GRAYLING TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — A massive wildfire that has been burning in Northern Michigan since Saturday afternoon is now 90% contained, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources said on Sunday night.
It comes as a team of 10 firefighters from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources arrived Sunday to help contain the fire. That
While the fire is 90% contained, the DNR said the ire remains at about 2,400 acres, southeast of Grayling.
“The crews were working in hilly, sandy terrain and that was difficult,” said Mike Janisse, Incident Commander of the Michigan DNR Incident Management Team supporting the fire. “Weather conditions also were hot, dry and windy.”
Fire risks have been high throughout the state for the past few weeks due to hot and dry weather conditions. The DNR said
The fire started around 1 p.m. Saturday from a campfire on private property and burned through jack pines, mixed pines and forest land.
According to the DNR, the fire threatened 35 residences, 38 vehicles – including 23 campers and three boats, and 58 outbuildings. Officials say three outbuildings were lost.
It also prompted evacuations of areas near the fire, and closed I-75 for a short period of time. Residents were allowed to return to their homes late Saturday night.
The governor also activated the state emergency operations center on Saturday due to the fire.
At this time, the DNR is not granting burn permits for yard debris due to weather conditions.
“One of the most important things people can do now is to refrain from burning until we get significant rain,” Janisse said.
Residents forced to evacuate the area were allowed to return to their homes late Saturday.
Several roads near the fire remain closed as heavy smoke is still visible in the area.
Along the 5-mile perimeter around the fire at heights below 5,000 feet, air traffic is currently temporarily restricted. As the fire risk remains very high to extreme, MIDNR has provided tips to reduce the risk of wildfire.
- Never leave a fire unattended, even for a moment.
- Check first to see if conditions allow for burning at Michigan.gov/BurnPermit.
- Always put fires out completely with water. Drench the coals, stir with a shovel and drench again.
- Don’t park vehicles over dry grass; heat from vehicles can ignite dry grass. Make sure no trailer chains are dragging, which can create sparks, and be careful when using power equipment outside.
For the latest fire updates, visit the Michigan Department of Natural Resources on Twitter by clicking here.
