This story has been updated with new information.
A Roscommon County wildfire has been mostly contained after it grew to more than 100 acres this week, county officials said.
Department of Natural Resources fire crews were continuing operations near the Roscommon State Forest Area on Tuesday, Oct. 7, but the fire near Old 27 and Benzie Road was contained, Roscommon County Emergency Management said in a Facebook post.
“The scene received a much needed half inch of rain last night,” county officials said in the post. “Crews will continue to be assigned to the incident until it is completely out.”
The DNR on Tuesday afternoon said the fire was “about 95% contained.”
Michigan Department of Natural Resources fire crews were using a drone with thermal imaging capabilities Tuesday morning to look for hot spots on the 101-acre fire site, which included a marshy area of mixed pine and hardwood forest.
“It has been a good effort with some tough conditions Sunday and Monday,” said Jeff Vasher, resources protection manager for the DNR. Dry conditions, unseasonable heat and gusty winds all were challenges.
Officials asked that the public remain out of the area and refrain from outdoor burning until conditions improve.
The fire was reported early Sunday afternoon east of Old U.S. 27, near the Clare-Roscommon county line, the DNR said. The cause was under investigation.
In addition to DNR firefighters, fire crews from local fire departments, bulldozers, fire engines and drone aircraft for aerial mapping and situational awareness were taking part in the fire battle on Monday.
How high is Michigan’s wildfire risk today?
With a cold front sagging across Michigan Monday and Tuesday, rain fell across the entire state. The fire risk was substantially lower on Tuesday than it had been a day earlier.
The Great Lakes Mesowest Fire & Fuels report says the wildfire risk across nearly the entire Lower Peninsula was High to Very High as of Monday, Oct. 6.
As of Tuesday afternoon, nearly the entire state was considered Low risk. A few areas from Traverse City to Alpena remain Moderate to High risk.
Burn permits were suspended Friday, Oct. 3, in northern Lower Peninsula areas under DNR control to prevent wildfires under dry conditions. Some U.P. areas also have burn restrictions in place.
How dry is it in Michigan?
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, as of Oct. 2, nearly the entire Lower Peninsula is abnormally dry or in some level of drought.
Nearly 42% of the state is in either moderate or severe drought, with the worst conditions in an east-west band from around Saginaw Bay to Ludington/Muskegon.
The Upper Peninsula and the northern Lower Peninsula, from just south of Grand Traverse Bay across the state, is not in a drought at this time.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Houghton Lake area wildfire contained after ‘much needed’ rain. What officials are saying
Reporting by Dan Basso, Lansing State Journal / Lansing State Journal
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