Warm weather brings fire risk

May 4—TRAVERSE CITY — Another snow-to-sunshine jump in a week means Traverse City can expect warm, dry and sunny weather, right in the midst of the spring fire season.

The National Weather Service cautioned of a possible increased fire risk Wednesday through Monday as warm, dry air settles over a wide swath of the Lower Peninsula. In Traverse City, forecasts show temperatures could top out at 73 Monday and in the low to upper 60s in the days preceding.

Winds aren't expected to be strong, so that tempers the fire risk, National Weather Service Meteorologist Matt Gillen said.

"But there's still some potential out there for any burning to get out of hand," he said.

Damp conditions from cold, rainy weather can disappear fast, especially with the region's sandy soils wicking away moisture, said Steve Cameron, the state Department of Natural Resources' forest fire supervisor in Traverse City. He oversees the department's fire suppression and prevention in Benzie, Leelanau, Grand Traverse and Kalkaska counties, plus part of Manistee County.

Each spring, dried-up leaves, pine needles, wood and other natural fuels burn easily until the spring green-up, usually in June, Cameron said. And sunshine has nothing to stop it from drying out forest floors that are typically cooler and damper under summer's canopy.

Pair that with peoples' spring cleaning habits and it's a busy time for firefighters, Cameron said — DNR crews responded to five in Grand Traverse and Kalkaska counties last week, four of which were caused by people burning despite the DNR not issuing permits.

Cameron said the term "permit" can be confusing, since the department hasn't issued physical permits for many years. They're "free," since in many areas getting one is as simple as checking the website www.michigan.gov/burnpermit.

The state also has an automated call-in system at 866-922-2876.

Burn permits are for open debris fires, like burning leaves, Cameron said. They don't apply to agricultural burns that involve natural materials — no construction debris, for example — and are part of a regular cropping operation — an orchard owner incinerating cut branches and trees, say. Nor do they cover recreational fires.

But the burn permit website is a great indicator if the day is safe for those activities, Cameron said.

"Even though burning is allowed recreationally for folks who are just sitting around the campfire and visiting, that's allowed even though burn permits are not being issued," he said. "But whoever lit the fire is the one responsible to make sure that it doesn't escape."

That responsibility applies should the blaze escape and cause damage, Cameron said.

Some local governments have their own burning restrictions, with Traverse City and the townships of Acme, East Bay and Garfield banning any open debris fires — small recreational fires are allowed, with a permit if they're in city limits, and with a permit for bonfires in the townships, as previously reported.

In Leelanau Township, Omena and Northport have local burning regulations, according to the township emergency services department — call 231-386-5343 for more information.

Simple precautions like clearing debris from around burn pits, keeping water handy and other basic fire safety tips can make a difference, as it would have in one of the fires Cameron responded to, he said. In that case, leaves around the burn pit caught fire and wind fanned the flames.

He also cautioned against dumping wood stove ashes outside. People used to leaving them in snow when ashes are easily saturated, and any lingering embers quenched, can't rely on a little rain to do the same.

Snow that fell in late April melted quickly, and the big swing from one week to the next is another example of the seasonal battle between cold air from Canada pushing down from the north versus warm air welling up from the southern United States, Gillen said.

"Moving forward, eventually the warm air's going to stick around for good, but we're sort of in that up-and-down timeframe," he said.