The Stockyard Fire 1988

RAPID RIVER — June 30 to July 6 was Wildland Firefighter Week of Remembrance, a time which is dedicated to all those who have fallen in the line of duty and serves as an opportunity for crews to renew the commitment to the health, wellness, and safety. Locally, the Upper Peninsula Fire Management Unit reflects on the 1988 Stockyard Fire each year, both as a part of this Week of Remembrance and to consider lessons learned from the fire.

Typically, when the 1988 wildfire season is discussed, people think the Northern Rockies and, specifically, Yellowstone National Park. Fire, however, is a part of the landscape throughout North America and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan is no exception.

In June of 1988, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan was experiencing severe drought conditions. According to a news release by the Michigan DNR, “By June 23, Department of Natural Resources firefighting teams had responded to 632 wildfires that had burned over 5,850 acres in Michigan.”

On July 1st late in the afternoon, a wildfire started by an ORV was reported close to the Rapid River school and the Escanaba Station responded. In early evening on the west flank of the fire, a team of tractor plows worked in a relatively quiet area, plowing 50 feet from a fire with 2-foot flame lengths. Aided by a hand crew, they had successfully created a wide burned-out area between the fire and the line. Winds were light, then became calm.

The low flames unexpectedly began to torch into the crowns of the trees. Within a couple of minutes, the flames became a wall that moved quickly through the crowns toward the tractor crew. Flames had shifted from slightly eastward to vertical and then to westward. The resulting crown fire was described as a” waterfall,” a “breaking wave,” or a “curl.” Witnesses stated that this wave moved along the fire line at 15 miles an hour, throwing firebrands westward, 100 feet away from the flank, into unburned fuels. Flame heights increased to 150 to 250 feet and entrapped one of the tractor plows. A Michigan DNR Fire Officer and tractor plow operator, Jeff Noble, was pulled to safety by Gary Olson, a U.S. Forest Service firefighter. Jeff was seriously burned, spending weeks in the St. Mary’s Hospital burn center Milwaukee.

We welcome and encourage all to join us in the Week of Remembrance and learn from Jeff, in his own words on video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsgwX-orBicMichele Healy Cunningham

Without all these brave and dedicated firefights, we would not have had a house to come home to after our evacuation. I will be forever grateful. Thank you for your service to our community.