With slightly cooler weather aiding firefighting efforts, crews continued work Monday to suppress the Wilderness Trail Fire that has burned an estimated 2,400 acres southeast of Grayling. The fire is more than 90% contained.
Fire crews from multiple agencies are working to reinforce a containment line on the south side of the fire, move from suppression to mop-up status, reopen the rail line north of 4 Mile Road and reopen the fire area to the public.
Conditions remain dry and fire risk is very high or extreme across much of the state. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is not issuing burn permits.
“There’s not enough rain today to make a significant reduction in fire danger,” said Mike Janisse, commander of the DNR Incident Management Team that is assisting with the fire. “Even though it feels cooler, conditions are very dry and extreme fire conditions are expected to continue in the Grayling area and around the state.”
People cause nine out of 10 wildfires and burning yard debris is the top wildfire cause in Michigan. The Wilderness Trail Fire started with a campfire.
The DNR urges people to use an abundance of caution if they are making a campfire or a cooking fire. Keep a water source nearby and never leave any fire unattended, even for a moment. Get more fire safety tips at Michigan.gov/PreventWildfires.
The DNR will continue to share updates via news releases and on the department Twitter account at Twitter.com/MichiganDNR.
