DNR reports fire containment at 57 percent in Duck Lake fire

The Department of Natural Resources today reported that cooler temperatures Wednesday evening allowed the fire crews to make significant progress on the Duck Lake Fire in the Upper Peninsula’s Luce County. Most recent GPS data show the fire size at 21,458 acres with 57 percent containment.

Crews have constructed fireline across all of Division G in the southeast corner of the fire and roughly one-half of the fire’s west side. Saw crews also made headway in removing hazard trees.

The south end of the fire is 14 miles north of Newberry and 7 miles west from Tahquamenon Falls State Park campgrounds. The fire is long and narrow and stretches 11 miles to the north to Lake Superior. There are currently 40 miles of fireline. Of that fireline, 6 miles is Lake Superior shoreline, 13 miles is completed line (that includes County Road 500), and 21 miles is uncontained fireline. Access remains very difficult with few roads.

The latest estimate on structure loss is that there are 138 properties within the perimeter of the fire; 138 sites have been inspected to this point, with one remaining that had no fire number. A total of 132 structures have been lost, with a breakdown as follows: 46 homes/cabins 23 garages 35 sheds/outbuildings 26 campers 1 store 1 motel