Weekend progress made in Rugged Terrain Complex containment
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UPPER PENINEULA -- The Rugged Terrain Complex wildfires all continue to burn as the Michigan Department of Natural Resources remains active in their efforts to contain them.
In a release Saturday night, the DNR updated the public on the state of the fires. All three fires no longer involve open fires burning through the trees of the Upper Peninsula forests. They are now burning up to two feet down in the duff, A layer of organic material lying under freshly fallen leaves above mineral soil.
Rain alone will not extinguish fires that are burning so deep in the duff layer. DNR firefighters are using leaf blowers, hand tools, water pumps and larger equipment such as tractor plows and dozers in their suppression efforts. The priority is to establish containment lines that are scraped down to the bare mineral soil to prevent the fire from spreading.
The estimated size of all three fires has not changed since Friday. The Craig Lake Fire is now 90 percent contained and the Black River Fire is now 70 percent contained. There was no change in containment announced for the Ridge Fire.
Both the "Ready" status of the "Ready, Set, Go!" protocol for residents along North Basin Drive and the temporary flight restriction (TFR) over all three fires for a 5-vautical-mile radius and below 3,500 feet remain in effect. The public is asked to avoid the area around all fires so that suppression efforts are not impeded. Drones are not permitted in the fire areas as they will bring air operations to a halt.
The DNR had a total of 84 firefighters assigned to the Rugged Terrain Complex Saturday. A DNR Incident Management Team is managing the complex. Additional support is being provided by U.S. Forest Service, Marquette National Weather Service, Michigan State Police, Marquette County Sheriff's Office and Emergency Management, Baraga County Emergency Management, Gogebic County Sheriff's Office, Gogebic County Emergency Management, Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, Bay Mills Indian Community, Negaunee Township, Michigamme-Spurr Fire Department, Bessemer Township Fire Department, Wakefield City Fire Department and DNR Law Enforcement Division.
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.