Firefighters on Monday, Oct. 6, were battling a wildfire in Roscommon County that had grown to more than 85 acres.
“With fire danger extremely high across much of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula today, firefighters are working near Houghton Lake in Roscommon County to contain a wildfire burning since Sunday afternoon, Oct. 5, near the Roscommon State Forest Area,” the Department of Natural Resources said Monday afternoon.
The fire is estimated to be at approximately 85 acres in a marshy area of mixed pine and hardwood forest, where dry fuels and gusty winds have challenged firefighting efforts, the DNR said.
“Crews have been working through difficult terrain to contain the fire,” said Jeff Vasher, Michigan DNR Lower Peninsula resource protection manager. “High winds have made suppression challenging, but firefighters are holding the lines and continuing to reinforce containment.”
The fire was reported early Sunday afternoon east of Old U.S. 27, near the Clare-Roscommon county line, the DNR said. The cause remains under investigation.
In addition to DNR firefighters, firefighters from local fire departments, bulldozers, fire engines and drone aircraft for aerial mapping and situational awareness are taking part in the fire battle.
The DNR is asking the public to avoid the area while crews fight the fire.
How high is Michigan’s wildfire risk today?
“We are currently experiencing severe drought conditions across the mid-to-lower peninsula,” Paul Rogers, DNR fire prevention specialist said. “While there is some chance of rain tonight and tomorrow, expected rainfall amounts will not be enough to ease the drought or reduce the overall fire danger.”
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.
The Great Lakes Mesowest Fire & Fuels report says the wildfire risk across nearly the entire Lower Peninsula is High to Very High as of Monday, Oct. 6.
Thunderstorms and a cold front moving across Michigan Monday into Tuesday could lower the risk later this week.
In the Upper Peninsula, the risk is considered Low or Moderate. The U.P. has received more rainfall this summer than the rest of the state.
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: DNR battling northern Michigan wildfire. What to know about Roscommon County fire
Reporting by Dan Basso, Lansing State Journal / Lansing State Journal
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