Crews working to expand containment of Blue Lakes Fire
Multiple crews from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and local fire departments have been working to further contain the Blue Lakes Fire in portions of Montmorency and Cheboygan counties.
According to a press release from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources on May 16, the fire was around 75 percent contained and had burned an estimated 2,200 acres as of Sunday. Firefighters had to be removed from the fire line on Saturday afternoon while fighting the blaze, due to a risk of lightning in the area.
"Although northeast Michigan had widespread rain Saturday afternoon, little fell in the fire area," said Tim Webb, Michigan Department of Natural Resources spokesman, in the press release.
More: Lightning caused 2,300-acre Blue Lakes Fire in Montmorency, Cheboygan counties
A lightning strike during a storm on May 11 has been deemed to be the cause of the fire in the Pigeon River State Forest. The fire was first reported Friday afternoon, around 12:40 p.m.
Webb said it is not uncommon for lightning to strike the ground and cause smoldering for several days, until the fuel on the ground's surface dries out enough to catch fire and spread.
Crews were working throughout the weekend to connect the containment line gaps in the low lying, wet areas of the state forest. The weather systems the area was receiving, including the lower winds and higher humidity, worked in the firefighters' favors to increase containment.
Although the containment of the fire is expanded, it does not mean the fire is out. Containment means the fire is unlikely to spread past a certain point, also known as a containment line. This is typically an area where firefighters have created patches of bare ground with no fuel to burn, so the fire stops.
Drones are also being used to help find hot spots, or areas that need attention and are at a risk for reigniting.
The Onaway Fire Department, Tri-Township Fire Department, Hillman and Lewiston Fire Departments, as well as the Montmorency County Sheriff's Department and Office of Emergency Management and the Michigan State Police have all been assisting the DNR with this fire.
A number of roads throughout the area surrounding the fire had been closed and continue to remain closed. These roads include Clark Bridge Road between Black River Road and Osmun Road in Cheboygan County.
Most of these road closures have been lifted. Blue Lakes Road between Hardwood Lake Road and Black River Road remains closed.
A portion of the Black River, between Blue Lakes Road and Clark Bridge Road, has also been closed to people recreating in the area. A group of kayakers were removed from the area for their safety over the weekend.
More: Red flag warning issued: High risk for wildfires in Northern Michigan
With the increased risk of wildfires and the spread of these fires, the DNR has made the decision not to complete any of its prescribed burns over the last week. Burn permits are also not being issued at this time, in order to stop the spread of, or chance of, fires.
Anyone who is considering burning is asked to visit Michigan.gov/BurnPermit to see if burning is allowed. Fire safety tips can also be found on Michigan.gov/PreventWildfires.
More updates on this fire are being issued by the DNR on their Facebook page at Facebook.com/MichiganDNR, and on its Twitter account at Twitter.com/MichiganDNR.
Contact Features Writer Kortny Hahn at khahn1@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @khahnCDT.
This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Crews working to expand containment of Blue Lakes Fire
