Embers may still smolder, but they can’t hide from infrared drone cameras
Most crew activity across the three Rugged Terrain Complex fires in the Upper Peninsula is beginning to wind down, with firefighters focusing on finding residual fire activity and patrolling containment lines as fire behavior remains calm and steady.
The Rugged Terrain Complex is composed of the Ridge, Craig Lake and Black River fires.
“Because firefighters have done such a fantastic job with suppression efforts, we can reduce resources actively working these fires,” said Jennifer Hansen, deputy incident commander with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. “We are finding fewer hot spots, which allows us to move into more of a monitoring strategy. Staff continue to check and extinguish the hot spots they can safely reach.”
A continued threat to firefighter safety as well as containment efforts are the trees damaged in the fires, some of which have had their roots burned right out from under them. Those trees have been falling across containment lines, interrupting necessary access for firefighters to complete remaining suppression efforts.
Ongoing suppression work
Mopping up, as firefighters call it, is the process of identifying locations where pockets of smoldering material exist, then managing those areas accordingly. Commonly referred to as hot spots, duffers or smokes, these locations of remaining fire activity are tracked down by crews, an activity often called “cold trailing.”
Firefighters then open up the concerning spots to surface weather conditions, then douse the embers with water.
Water is delivered to crews many ways, including engines or utility terrain vehicles – when access is available – or by a network of pumps and hoses for firefighters on foot. On the Black River Fire alone, nearly 2 miles of hose spread like tree branches to provide water access.
Another wavelength
To maximize the effectiveness of on-the-ground firefighters, DNR pilots have used drone-mounted infrared cameras to determine the precise locations of strong heat signatures, where temperatures are significantly higher than ambient air temperatures. Less than three hours from drone liftoff, firefighters receive specific GPS coordinates and the size and density of lingering fire behavior.
On the Rugged Terrain Complex, addressing residual heat locations adjacent to containment lines is the priority, with work then progressing toward the interior of the burned area. This increases the effective width of areas which block fire from spreading. The increased effectiveness leads to reduced risk of a restart. These final clean-up steps will be ongoing for weeks to come.
“There is still quite a bit of work to do, but the volatility of these fires is under control,” said Keith Murphy, DNR fire specialist. “Realistically, portions of these fires will not be truly extinguished until there is sufficient snow cover. Until then, we will keep many watchful eyes on each of them.”
Fire stats and closure details
Ridge Fire: 466 acres, 50% contained. The Noquemanon Trail system west of the trailhead on County Road 510 remains closed.
Craig Lake Fire: 606 acres, 90% contained. Craig Lake State Park north of Craig Lake, the Teddy Lake Yurt and the North Country Trail within the park all are currently closed.
Black River Fire: 326 acres, 70% contained.
Rugged Terrain Complex fire response: 27 firefighters active today.
As always, the DNR reminds people to check Michigan.gov/BurnPermit before planning to burn yard debris or start a campfire, and to have an accessible water source nearby. For more fire safety tips, visit Michigan.gov/PreventWildfires.
Mopping up, as firefighters call it, is the process of identifying locations where pockets of smoldering material exist, then managing those areas accordingly. Commonly referred to as hot spots, duffers or smokes, these locations of remaining fire activity are tracked down by crews, an activity often called “cold trailing.”
