According to the National Weather Service, temperatures in Escanaba could climb to 80 degrees Saturday, with west winds ranging from 5 to 15 mph and gusts reaching up to 25 mph.

Jake Burton, a Forest Fire Officer with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR), said the combination of high temperatures, low humidity and gusty winds creates elevated fire danger across parts of the Upper Peninsula.

“Those three things in combination present some high to very high wildfire risk,” Burton said.

Burton, who is based out of the DNR’s Stephenson Field Office, said that spring days are especially prone to wildfires as tree growth begins pulling moisture from trees and surrounding fuels dry out quickly.

Firefighters with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) have fully contained a wildfire that began Sunday near the southeast end of the Tomahawk Creek Flooding in Presque Isle County. (Photo courtesy of the DNR)

“This time of year is when the needle moisture starts to drop, just because everything’s growing out, it’s growing new branches, new needles,” Burton said. “So it’s pulling a lot of moisture from throughout the tree. Jack pine by itself is generally really flammable due to the oils in the needles.”

He added that a common misconception is that spring conditions remain wet, when in reality fine fuels can become dangerously dry.

“Right now, we still have some cured fuels that are dead from this past winter. And people think it’s wet this time of year, but it’s actually fairly dry,” he said. “The fine fuels only take an hour to dry out, so even if you get a little shot of rain in the morning, that stuff can be dry and ready to burn by that afternoon.”

Before burning yard debris or starting a campfire, residents are encouraged to check the latest burn permit status at Michigan.gov/BurnPermit. Burn permit information for each Michigan county is updated daily by 10 a.m. Eastern Time.

Residents should allow time for the Burn Permits Management System to update each day before beginning any outdoor burning.

“If you’re burning something legally and the fire happens to get away from you, certainly call 911 first,” Burton said. “It’s best just to call 911, let us and/or the local fire department come and handle it and that way you don’t get hurt.”

Open burning restrictions across much of the state come amid ongoing wildfire concerns following the Tomahawk Lake Fire in Presque Isle County.

As of Thursday afternoon, the DNR announced firefighters fully contained the wildfire that began Sunday. Crews will continue to monitor the area.

The wildfire burned approximately 190 acres of state-managed land, including jack pine stands, a blueberry bog and hardwood debris left behind by last year’s ice storm.

“The cause of the fire remains under investigation,” said Jeff Vasher, the DNR’s Lower Peninsula resource protection manager. “While a vehicle was burned over in the fire, investigators have determined that it was not the cause.”

No evacuations were ordered, and no homes or structures were threatened.

Vasher also cautioned that dry conditions in the Lower Peninsula are expected to persist into the weekend, stating “People recreating outdoors need to be very cautious with campfires this weekend. Nine out of every 10 wildfires are human-caused, and people need to make sure they never leave fires unattended.”

Burn permits are available from the DNR for counties in the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula only. In the southern Lower Peninsula, permits may be obtained from the local fire department or local governing body. For more information, call 866-922-BURN (866-922-2876).

To view more safety tips and wildfire information, visit Michigan.gov/PreventWildfires.

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Sophie Vogelmann can be reached at 906-786-2021 or svogelmann@dailypress.net.