MARQUETTE, Mich. (WZMQ) – Fire crews are continuing their containment efforts a week after spotting two wildfires west of Marquette.
As of last night, the fire north of Craig Lake State Park has now covered over 600 acres, and has been halfway contained. That fire was confirmed to have started from a lightning strike. The Ridge Fire, 10 miles northwest of Marquette has now reached 434 acres, and has been about 30% contained. Its cause is still under investigation.
Both fires were spotted on Thursday and Friday. On Wednesday, the DNR had 41 firefighters on the ground on the Ridge Fire and 24 firefighters on the ground on the Craig Lake Fire, with terrains proving difficult for equipment; leaving crews to walk into the sites. A large concern also comes from underground burning, allowing healthy and unsuspecting trees to fall easily.
The DNR Incident Coordination Center says rainy weather is aiding in their efforts, but the underground burning is expected to take weeks, if not months to fully extinguish.
“Right now because of the weather, we’re digging underneath the ground to get to those hotspots,” explained Public Information Officer Beth Fults. “We’re trying to open up that duff layer, get down to the soil and keep it open.. so when it rains, that will help us put that fire out naturally.”
Fults also says the crews working long hours appreciate the support from its surrounding communities.
“We’re getting lots of thank yous,” she said. “The positive messages on social media really mean a lot to us, it’s really helpful and encouraging.”
On Tuesday, management of the Black River Fire was also taken over by the DNR from the National Forest Service. This is a 382-acre fire located four miles south of Wakefield, and is currently 50% contained.
For a full rundown from the Department of Natural Resources, click here. WZMQ 19 will share more details as they become available.
