Grayling wildfire nearly contained; people urged to stay away from area

Randy Essex, Detroit Free Press
Updated ·4 min read
9

The frightening wildfire over the weekend southeast of Grayling was 90% Monday, with fire crews hoping to have full containment by the end of the day, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

The agency said preliminary estimates show that the fire, which prompted a closure of Interstate 75 for much of Saturday and temporary evacuations of some homes, threatened 35 homes, 38 vehicles and 58 outbuildings, three of which burned. What the DNR is calling the Wilderness Trail Fire started Saturday with a campfire on private land in Crawford County.

The agency asked that people stay away and emphasized that crews continue to work to suppress the blaze and assess damage.

The fire remains at 2,400 acres, and roads near the fire remain closed, though crews hoped to be able to reopen secondary roads in the area and restore access to Kneff and Staley lakes. Railroad companies needed access to inspect potentially affected tracks north of 4 Mile Road, to see if rail activity can safely resume.

Michigan Department of Natural Resource firefighters work to suppress the Wilderness Trail Fire southeast of Grayling on Sunday, June 4, 2023.
Michigan Department of Natural Resource firefighters work to suppress the Wilderness Trail Fire southeast of Grayling on Sunday, June 4, 2023.

Help from neighbors

Under the Great Lakes Forest Fire Compact agreement, comprised of the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan, and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Manitoba, 10 Wisconsin firefighters accompanied by heavy firefighting equipment arrived Sunday to help fight the blaze.

Conditions were stressful.

“The crews were working in hilly, sandy terrain and that was difficult,” said Mike Janisse, incident commander of the Michigan DNR Incident Management Team supporting the fire. “Weather conditions also were hot, dry and windy.”

The fire began around 1 p.m. Saturday afternoon. Fire departments worked through the night to try to keep the fire contained.
The fire began around 1 p.m. Saturday afternoon. Fire departments worked through the night to try to keep the fire contained.

Michigan is a tinderbox

The fire came amid a significant dry spell, the Free Press reported Monday, with no relief in sight.

Southeast Michigan received 0.92 inches of rain in May, which normally records 3 to 4 inches.

Conditions around the state are so dry that "exposure to any spark would be expected to cause a fire in 98% of cases at this time. It can be sparks from a lawnmower hitting a rock; pulling a trailer with a chain dragging from the hitch," DNR spokeswoman Kerry Heckman told Free Press reporter Keith Matheny.

More: Dry conditions, no rain in sight have Michigan at 'unprecedented' wildfire danger levels

More: Antibiotics for humans, livestock found in waters flowing to Lake Erie

Hot temperatures, sunshine and virtually no rain have fire danger signs ranked at "extreme" throughout the upper half of Michigan's Lower Peninsula and in the Upper Peninsula like this sign near Seney east of Munising.
Hot temperatures, sunshine and virtually no rain have fire danger signs ranked at "extreme" throughout the upper half of Michigan's Lower Peninsula and in the Upper Peninsula like this sign near Seney east of Munising.

Prosecution, liability is possible if your fire gets out of control

Anyone who allows their fire to get out of control and cause a wildfire could potentially be held liable for the damages and costs related to suppressing the fire that escaped, Heckman said. It can also be charged as a misdemeanor punishable by a fine and/or 90 days in jail, she said.

She did not comment specifically on the campfire on private property that got out of control and sparked the Grayling area wildfire.

Law enforcement officials have discretion on a case-by-case basis.

“It’s not unusual for even a small fire — 2 acres, 5 acres — especially when they are burning when burn restrictions are in place, for that to receive at least a warning, if not a ticket,” Heckman said. “It’s not a routine thing, but it’s not out of the question even for those smaller fires.”

An intentionally set fire could result in felony arson charges, punishable by a $10,000 fine, up to 10 years in prison and restitution.

Practice fire safety

Michigan has no burn bans in place right now, so campfires or cook fires are still allowed, Heckman said. The weekend fire and wildfires on Memorial Day weekend were all caused by campfires.

"One of the most important things people can do now is to refrain from burning until we get significant rain," Janisse said.

Safety tips:

  • Anyone having a fire should keep a water source, shovels and rakes nearby.

  • To put out a campfire, douse it with water, stir the coals and douse it again.

  • Apply plenty of water around the fire ring.

  • Fires should never be left unattended, and should be avoided in windy conditions.

  • In addition, motorists avoid parking vehicles over dry grass, as the vehicle's heat can spark a fire. Make sure no trailer chains are dragging, which can create sparks, and be careful when using power equipment outside, officials said.

  • For more information, go to www.michigan.gov/dnr/education/safety-info/fire.

Randy Essex: ressex@freepress.com. Keith Matheny contributed to this story.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Grayling, Michigan wildfire 90% contained; nearby states help out