MI DNR contains Blue Lakes Fire after a week of burning
The fire was ignited by lightning after a dry spring
MADISON, Wis. – After a dry April and May in the Lake States, fire risks diminished prior to the beginning of summer recreation season. But forest landowners and managers received a warning from a 2,516-acre fire that burned for one week in the Blue Lakes area of Northern Michigan in mid-May.
The fire in Montmorency and Cheboygan counties required the work of ten
local fire departments to put out, with assistance from the Michigan
Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Forest Service, Michigan State
Police and four area EMS departments.
The fire was started by a lightning strike on May 11. It came in a period of warm, dry and windy weather across the Lake States that brought warnings from state officials of very high fire danger in the region. Those warnings eased as Memorial Day weekend approached and rain arrived in the area.
The DNR expressed thanks to “the local community for its
support, including numerous donations of food and water throughout the
past several days and their willingness to respect the road closures,
put safety first, and give crews the space they need to safely and
effectively contain the fire.”
Here’s more detail on the Blue Lakes fire from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources:
https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/MIDNR/bulletins/31860a6
