A wildfire burning in Oscoda County for three days is nearing full containment, officials said Wednesday, though weather conditions remain conducive to fires across northern Lower Michigan.
Firefighters were working Wednesday at the Mapes Fire, located east of Mapes Road in Big Creek Township, west of the community of Mio. They are using drones equipped with infrared cameras to identify remaining hotspots, said the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service.
Crews on the ground, meanwhile, are working at the north and south ends of the fire to keep containment.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the fire is about 90% contained, compared to the 80% containment rate authorities reported on Tuesday. The blaze is about 124 acres in size, according to the Forest Service.
The effort includes some 52 firefighters, three bulldozers and eight fire engines, and a mapping drone and associated crew members, officials said.
Several homes along the Au Sable River were evacuated Monday due to the threat of spreading fire. The order was lifted later that day.
The Forest Service said there are no current road closures due to the fire, but drivers were urged to use caution if traveling along Mapes Road.
Unauthorized chopper ‘exposes severe risk’
Emergency response efforts were disturbed Tuesday when a helicopter flew into the airspace around the Mapes Fire, the Forest Service said.
At the time, firefighters were using a drone to conduct aerial mapping while Consumers Energy was using a separate drone to survey powerlines, the Forest Service said.
A Temporary Flight Restriction has been issued for the area surrounding the fire, the agency said, and whenever an aircraft enters restricted airspace, firefighters must cease operations.
Officials warned individuals, including drone operators, to steer clear of the skies around the fire.
“The incursion of a low-flying aircraft into this restricted airspace unnecessarily exposes severe risk to the pilot and crew of the aircraft and operations staff on the ground,” the Forest Service said in a press release. “The hazards are obvious and the risks are substantial.”
Weather not cooperating
Temperatures are expected to remain cool through Thursday with highs in the 50s and humidity around 30%. Winds will gust up to 15 mph.
The Forest Service said without rain, this weather will “continue to support fire behavior.”
There’s a 20% chance of showers in the area after 3 p.m. Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. Friday night and Saturday morning may also bring showers.
However, “a wetting rainfall is not expected with the showers this weekend, but some isolated ‘lucky’ spots could get up to a quarter of an inch or so,” the National Weather Service office in Gaylord said in a forecast.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources said recent dry conditions and wind have raised the danger of fire across much of the state, especially the northern Lower Peninsula due to the large number of trees and branches that were downed during the 2025 ice storm.
“In the ice storm area from last spring, the downed wood has been on the ground for a year, is starting to dry out, and can contribute to much hotter and more dangerous conditions if a fire gets started,” said Paul Rogers, fire prevention specialist for DNR, in a statement. “While the temperatures have dropped, we are expecting to see elevated fire danger continue as we get closer to the weekend.”
mreinhart@detroitnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Michigan wildfire 90% contained but dry weather remains a concern
Reporting by Max Reinhart, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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