MICHIGAN, USA — In 2024 alone, Michigan Department of National Resources (DNR) wildland firefighters have fought more than 250 fires covering nearly 1,200 acres.
Many of those fires occurred over the weekend. One of those fires was a 100-plus acre fire in the federally managed McCormick Wilderness in Baraga County.
Most of the State of Michigan has been and will continue to be at a high fire risk due to recent weather conditions according to Keith Murphy, a Marquette-based fire specialist for the DNR.
“It’s amazing how dry it is for October,” Murphy said. “It is not usually like this at this time of year.”
Due to the dry conditions, people should be cautious when playing or working outside. Later in the week we are due for some possible rain. However, it may not be enough to significantly lower the fire danger, said Murphy.
The fire in McCormick Wilderness, dubbed the Summit Lake Fire, was still burning as of Monday afternoon, with 120 acres still ablaze. It's currently on federal land. However, Murphy said it is approaching land where the DNR would step in to handle fire suppression.
When an area is under a high fire risk, it's not just fire safety that people should be concerned about, although that is a huge factor. Murphy said a number of recent fires were caused simply by lightning strikes. Those fires can sometimes smolder for days in remote areas before becoming visible.
Remote locations can also be hard for firefighters to reach. Murphy said that in one instance, firefighters hiked into a fire near Newberry and used a boat to get to a fire in Luce County.
Many of the active fires are expected to continue to burn through the week in the Northern Lower Peninsula, said Jeff Vasher, a fire specialist based in Roscommon.
During this dry time, if you have plans to burn leaves or other yard debris, you can check online for a burn permit; in the southern Lower Peninsula, check with your local fire department or municipality to make sure conditions allow for safe burning.
“Please don’t burn until we get a good amount of moisture, until the weather changes,” Vasher said.
Vasher shared a message for hunters, off-road vehicle riders and others who plan to enjoy the outdoors in coming days: Be careful.
Never leave any fire unattended, even for a moment. Whenever you have finished with your campfire, make sure to drench it with water, stir the ashes and drench again.
Some additional fire safety tips from the DNR:
Whenever you burn anything, keep a hose or other water source nearby.
Prevent sparks. Keep trailer chains from dragging and don’t park hot equipment on dry grass.
Don't burn plastic, hazardous materials, foam or other household trash. This can release dangerous chemicals into the air.
Use a burn barrel with a screen on top to burn paper, leaves and natural materials.
Get more fire safety tips at Michigan.gov/FireManagement.
