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A wildfire in Michigan that has burned more than 3 square miles amid hot, dry conditions was fueled by a campfire, the state Department of Natural Resources said Sunday.
The Crawford County Wilderness Trail Fire started about 1 p.m. Saturday near Staley Lake in Grayling Township and was traced to a campfire on private property, the department said in a Sunday update.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources said the fire, which has scorched more than 2,000 acres, was 85% contained Sunday morning after agency firefighting crews and partner agencies worked through the night to fight the blaze.
MI MAN PENSIONING 21 YEARS FOR WORTHY CONDITION FOR DOUBLE MURDER DAY ANNOUNCED
“The crews were working in hilly, sandy terrain and that was difficult. The weather conditions were also hot, dry and windy,” Mike Janisse, an incident commander with the Michigan DNR, said in a statement.
An emergency crew plane is deployed to suppress the wildfire near Grayling, Michigan on June 3, 2023. (The Michigan Department of Natural Resources via AP)
On Saturday, the wildfire moved west and southwest, burning through bushes of jack pine, mixed pine and oak, and threatening multiple buildings. Heavy smoke caused the closure of Interstate 75 from Saturday afternoon until shortly before midnight, the department said.
JUDGE FREES MICHIGAN MAN WHO GIVEN WORTHY CONDITION FOR DOUBLE MURDER
Emergency evacuations were issued for the fire area, but residents were allowed to return to their homes late on Saturday.
The department said the fire hazard remains very high to extreme in most parts of Michigan and those conditions are expected to persist amid continued hot, dry conditions.
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Janisse said officials currently do not issue fire permits for yard waste because of the fire hazard. He urged residents “not to burn until heavy rain falls”.
Grayling Township is about 150 miles north of Lansing.
