Crews contain wildfire in western Upper Peninsula
The Associated Press
BARAGA, Mich. (AP) — Firefighters from Michigan and four other states contained a wildfire that burned more than 1,100 acres in the western Upper Peninsula. But hot, dry weather kept them on alert Sunday.
The fire in Baraga County was contained Saturday, eight days after it blew out of control during a controlled burn near Covington, 60 miles west of Marquette.
Crews “have a fire line around the entire fire,” Bob MacGregor, a spokesman for the Ottawa National Forest, said Saturday afternoon. “It’s contained within the lines, but there’s still smoke kicking up in the middle.”
The fire jumped the Sturgeon River on April 29 and forced the temporary evacuation of 30 homes, although none were destroyed. The only reported injury was a cut hand suffered by a Department of Natural Resources firefighter.
U.S. Forest Service personnel from Colorado, Indiana, Missouri and New Hampshire joined DNR and Bureau of Indian Affairs crews in fighting the fire. More than 160 firefighters were deployed earlier last week.
That number had fallen to 118 by Saturday. But, MacGregor told The Mining Journal of Marquette: “We haven’t released anybody (else) because the weather for (Sunday) is supposed to be again dry and hot with winds. … We are going to keep putting out the smokes and keep mopping further into the interior, (and) try to get this thing buttoned up.”
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On the Net:
Michigan Department of Natural Resources: http://www.michigan.gov/dnr
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Information from: The Mining Journal, http://www.miningjournal.net
Source: www.mlive.com