OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich. — A barn in Blendon Township is a total loss after a fire on Sunday afternoon, according to the Deputy Chief of the Blendon Township Fire Department Sean Miller.
Miller said a lawnmower overheated in the barn and caught fire, sending the barn up in flames. Then, due to the high winds and dry conditions, he said the fire was pushed through multiple other properties.
Embers and flames from the fire spread to the east and caused some smaller grass fires, as well as a fire in the tree line near the barn. Miller said a shed roof caught on fire as well.
"The wind definitely amplifies everything. Just, you know, if burning is not necessary, we just ask people not to do it and wait for a better day," Miller said.
The department used a drone to check the area where the fire happened, as well as cornfields and other areas in the neighborhood, to ensure from a thermal standpoint there was no danger of another fire starting.
Miller said there were no injuries in the fire, and eight agencies responded to help fight it.
Several counties in West Michigan are under a Red Flag Warning until 8 p.m., issued by the National Weather Service Grand Rapids.
According to the NWS, the counties under the warning are Clare, Mecosta, Isabella, Montcalm, Gratiot, Kent, Ionia, Clinton, Barry, Eaton, Ingham, Kalamazoo, Calhoun and Jackson.
The NWS said a Red Flag Warning means critical fire weather conditions are happening currently or will happen shortly.
On Sunday, the NWS said winds will blow west 10 to 20 mph with gusts up to 35 mph, relative humidity as low as 25% and temperatures in the mid-70s.
This combination of strong winds, low relative humidity and warm temperatures can contribute to what the NWS called "extreme fire behavior."
Miller said the haze people are seeing in the air across West Michigan today could be due to scattered wildfires in the area.
"There's a haze this morning from some of the other wildfires that were going on. So that could have been some of that, could have been this, hard to tell some days," he said.
The NWS said to be careful with any activities that could lead to a wildfire on Sunday, including camping, grilling outdoors, smoking materials, using a chainsaw and driving ATVs.
Burn restrictions are likely in effect due to the Red Flag Warning. For more information on burn restrictions in your area, visit the Michigan Department of Natural Resources here or call (866) 922-2876.