Dry conditions cause fire hazard in state | News, sports, jobs

Courtesy Image Unusually dry weather and an extended summer season with a rapid flush of fall colors and annual leaf fall have contributed to increased fire danger in the northern Lower Peninsula. Residents and forest visitors are being warned to monitor their outdoor activities and remain vigilant to avoid causing forest fires.

CADILLAC – Lack of adequate rainfall, unseasonably warmer days and competing demands for available resources across the country have prompted fire officials to prepare aerial firefighting resources in the Great Lakes region for an accelerated response to reports of wildfires.

Currently, Inciweb, an interagency, all-risk incident information management system developed to provide the public with a single source of incident-related information, is reporting two Upper Peninsula wildfires actively burning on federal public lands. The Summit Lake fire in the Ottawa National Forest, 38 kilometers southeast of Ishpeming, is burning in timber with moderate fire behavior, while the Lard Lake wildfire in the Hiawatha National Forest, just 15 kilometers southeast of Munising, is burning in timber and shows active fire behavior with torches. .

As of midnight Tuesday, both fires reported burning more than 200 acres.

The causes of the fires are being investigated.

Three amphibious AT-802F single-engine aerial tankers, also known as Fire Bosses, centrally located in the Great Lakes, provided aerial assistance to the Summit and Lard Lake fires, supporting ground firefighting units in dampening the forward movement of the forest fires. An additional wildfire response from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources in Deerton, just west of Munising, brought the total of air suppression efforts to 48,000 gallons over the course of 60 water drops.

Courtesy Photo Aerial firefighting equipment taxis down the runway at Marquette/Sawyer Regional Airport en route to the Summit Fire in the Ottawa National Forest, 38 kilometers southeast of Ishpeming, on Tuesday in this US Forest Service photo by Chad Runyan.

“Wildfire conditions in the Huron-Manistee National Forests warrant that residents and forest visitors remain vigilant in their preventative measures to prevent a wildfire from igniting,” said Fire Marshal Matthew Way. “With indices ranging from high to very high across the northern Lower Peninsula, monitoring the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Burn Permit Map and the fire forecast at Great Lakes Fire and Fuels would be a great benefit to anyone looking for some form of outdoor activities. activities that could potentially cause a wildfire.”

Way reported that the initial attack response from Huron-Manistee National Forests resources has begun to show an uptick, raising concerns that complacency could be contributing to the increase this time of year.

Way noted that recent rainfall has not been enough to offset fire danger in the Huron-Manistee National Forests response area.

Fall recreational activities such as hunting, camping and use of all-terrain vehicles increase the risk of a human-caused wildfire from a vehicle backfire, an abandoned campfire or even parking on dry vegetation.

Preparing your property for the potential impact of an impending wildfire through mitigation practices is as easy as fall cleanup.

Residents are encouraged to perform risk mitigation activities such as reducing fuel loads on their properties, cleaning gutters so they are free of flammable debris, and taking the time to inspect recreational fire rings on their properties for maintenance, including removal of debris 3 meters outside the pit. and 20 feet overhead.

Composting, shredding and even creating a habitat for small mammals to overwinter would be better uses of garden waste and debris during this dry spell.

“Residential hardening techniques such as cleaning gutters, removing dead vegetation from the foundation of structures and houses, and keeping the area under decks clear of flammable materials and gas cylinders, help reduce fire in a structure/house in the case of a wildfire.” Way noticed.

Pay special attention to the roof of structures, homes or outbuildings, which can be a vital ignition point during a wildfire.

It is made clear to the public that when suppression efforts are conducted, staying out of the area and limiting the use of drones allows operations to run more smoothly and creates a safer environment in which air resources can act quickly.

“If you fly, we can’t,” Way said.

Air suppression is an effective way to initiate suppression efforts before ground resources can arrive and often continues to support firefighters with aerial observation of vital fire behavior and forward movement.

For more information about hardening your home or reducing the threat of wildfires on your property, visit the Huron-Manistee National Forests Fire Management website.