June 9, 2011

Overnight rain showers, followed by cooler temperatures and calmer winds, have improved conditions at the Howes Lake Fire in Crawford County, allowing the Department of Natural Resources' Incident Command Team to transfer management of fire suppression efforts to the local DNR management unit.

Local DNR fire management staff will continue to patrol the fire lines until the Howes Lake Fire can be declared "extinguished." The fire burned approximately 817 acres before it was fully contained by firefighters early Wednesday morning.

On Tuesday, June 7, approximately 35 DNR firefighters and eight local fire departments were dispatched to protect homes and fight a wildfire burning near Howes Lake in Crawford County. Law enforcement officers from the DNR, Michigan State Police, and multiple county sheriffs' and city police departments evacuated approximately 100 homes in the Manistee River Road area. County animal control officers also rescued livestock from the area.

The DNR would like to thank the following agencies that assisted at the scene: the volunteer fire departments from Frederic, Grayling, Lovells, Otsego Lake, Cold Springs, Blue Lake, Bear Lake and Kalkaska townships; Camp Grayling Fire Department; animal control from Kalkaska and Crawford counties; Crawford County and Kalkaska County sheriffs' departments; Michigan State Police; Crawford County Emergency Services and the Community Emergency Response Team.

Residents evacuated from their homes were allowed to return Tuesday evening. No homes were lost, five houses sustained damage and two outbuildings were destroyed.

Investigators determined Wednesday that the Howes Lake Fire was caused when lightning struck a jack pine tree near Howes Lake on Monday night.

For more information on wildfire prevention and management in Michigan, go to www.michigan.gov/dnr-fire.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state's natural and cultural resources for current and future generations. For more information, go to www.michigan.gov/dnr.