The risk of wildfires in northern Michigan is very high due to warm temperatures, dry vegetation and limited rainfall, officials warn.
Current fire danger ratings are high to very high across much of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula, Michigan Department of Natural Resources officials said.
They urge residents and visitors to use caution with any outdoor activity that could spark a wildfire in the northern Lower Peninsula and throughout the Upper Peninsula.
“We do not expect significant rainfall over the next 10 days, and that greatly increases the risk for wildfires,” Paul Rogers, the DNR’s fire prevention specialist, said in a May 29 statement. “Low moisture levels in conifer needles and dry pine fuels mean fires can start easily and spread quickly under the right conditions.”
He said the agency will not issue permits for burning yard debris in the northern Lower Peninsula and Upper Peninsula due to elevated fire conditions.
The DNR advises residents in southern Michigan to check with local fire departments or government officials before conducting any outdoor burning.
It also reminds residents and visitors to:
∎ Keep a hose or water source nearby when burning.
∎ Prevent sparks by ensuring trailer chains do not drag on roadways and avoiding parking hot equipment on dry grass.
∎ Keep campfires contained in a fire ring or pit and fully extinguish them before leaving by dousing fires with water, stirring the ashes, and dousing them again.
∎ Never leave fires or hot coals unattended.
∎ Never shoot fireworks into wooded areas, dry grass, or shrubs.
∎ And use only approved burn barrels with screens for natural materials such as paper and leaves; avoid burning plastics, hazardous materials, or household trash.
Earlier this month, a wildfire in Oscoda County burned about 124 acres and prompted the evacuation of several homes.
cramirez@detroitnews.com
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This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: DNR: Risk of wildfires ‘very high’ in UP, northern Michigan
Reporting by Charles E. Ramirez, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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