DNR: UP Wildfire Is 100 Percent Contained
NEWBERRY (WWJ) - Roughly three weeks after it started with a lightning strike in the eastern Upper Peninsula's Luce County, the Duck Lake Fire is now 100 percent contained.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources says recent GPS data show the fire stands at 21,069 acres.
The south end of the fire is 14 miles north of Newberry and seven miles west of Tahquamenon Falls State Park campgrounds. The lighting-strike caused fire, which was first detected on Thursday, May 24, is long and narrow and stretches 11 miles north to the Lake Superior shoreline. In all, fire crews constructed more than 42.6 miles of contained fireline.
DNR officials say the fire will now be monitored daily with local equipment.
Bill O'Neill, acting chief of the DNR's Forest Resources Division, said weather conditions helped turn this into an unpredictable, fast-growing fire. However, O'Neill said they are grateful they were able to contain the fire without loss of life or injury to any firefighters or citizens.
In all, there were 141 properties within the perimeter of the fire. Of those, a total of 136 structures were lost.
With 100 percent containment on the Duck Lake Fire, DNR officials are reminding tourists that campgrounds, state parks, resorts and other businesses throughout the region and the Upper Peninsula are open for business. While visitors are asked to stay clear of ongoing fire-monitoring efforts, the rest of the UP stands ready to offer up Pure Michigan vacation memories.
The DNR encourages all residents and visitors in all parts of the state to avoid open burning and use of any fireworks during this extremely high fire-danger season to minimize the possibility of more wildfires.
For wildfire prevention tips, and for information on what is and is not permissible under the outdoor burning ban, visit www.michigan.gov/preventwildfires.
