Crews in Montmorency and Cheboygan counties are currently battling a wildfire that is estimated to have burned approximately 2,000 acres.
Michigan Department of Natural Rescue firefighters and local partners are battling what has been dubbed the Blue Lakes Fire. The fire was opened around 12:40 a.m. on Friday, May 13, and has so far caused the evacuation of 13 people from the Black River ranch.
No structures were lost and no other evacuations were carried out as of Friday night, DNR spokesman Kerry Hackman said.
“The fire was started by a mixture of pine, mixed pine and grass, with a lot of smoke visible from miles away,” Hackman said.
The National Weather Service in Gaylord noted that the smoke plum could be seen on radar and satellite images around 6pm on Friday.
The DNR has 40 firefighters on site, as well as a 12-member fire management team fighting the blaze. Members of the fire departments of Tri-Township, Hillman Area, Vienna, Canada Creek Ranch Fire Brigade, Albert Township, Charlton Township and Onaway are helping.
Additional support is provided by Onaway EMS, Hillman Area EMS, Michigan State Police, Montmorency County Sheriff and DNR Law Enforcement.
Air support includes four fire bosses, one air attack aircraft, a Type 3 helicopter and a DNR surveillance aircraft, according to DNR.
Many roads have been closed in the area to accommodate firefighting efforts and protect public safety. They include:
- Blue Lakes Road to East Branch Road.
- Black River Road to Camp 30 Road.
- Clark Bridge Road to Black River Road.
- Blue Lakes Road to Meridian Line Road.
- The Black River between Blue Lakes Road and Clark Bridge Road is also closed.
There is currently no additional information from the DNR and the causes of the fire are currently being clarified.
DNR warns that the risk of fire in the area is classified as “extreme” due to windy, dry and warm weather plus an abundance of dry fuels. The DNR reminds people to check Michigan.gov/BurnPermit before you plan to burn debris in the yard or light a campfire and always have an accessible water source nearby.
For more fire safety tips, visit Michigan.gov/PreventWildfires.
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