Rain provides help, poses some hazards for fire suppression on Ridge and Craig Lake fires

Lightning strike confirmed as cause of Craig Lake Fire; cause of Ridge Fire remains under investigation

With rain continuing overnight Monday and periodically throughout the day Tuesday, the fire activity on both the Ridge Fire and Craig Lake Fire in Marquette and Baraga counties remained low. The area of both fires received measurable rain overnight with 1 inch of rain on the Ridge Fire and 0.6 inches of rain on the Craig Lake Fire.

The lower fire activity provided the opportunity for firefighters to focus on gaining access to remote areas of the fire, use hose-lays, leaf blowers and hand lines to perform direct attack tactics on the edge of the fire, and work on building containment lines where possible on the Ridge Fire. The fire is still estimated to be 450 acres and 20% contained. The cooperation of area landowners continues to provide critical information to assist firefighters in gaining necessary access and knowledge of the landscape. The Ridge Fire is located 10 miles northwest of Marquette and north of the Dead River Basin west of County Road 510.

The status of the “Ready, Set, Go!” protocol for residents along North Basin Drive remains at a “Ready” status. Residents are encouraged to continue to be prepared in case conditions change. The Noquemanon Trail system west of the trailhead on County Road 510 remains closed.

The Craig Lake Fire, located north of Craig Lake State Park, is now estimated to be 600 acres and 20% contained. Firefighters used the calmer fire activity to their advantage to work on establishing access to the fire area and, where possible, used hand tools to establish containment lines. This fire is in a very remote location with difficult access and very rugged terrain.

The DNR has confirmed the cause of the Craig Lake Fire as being a lightning strike. There were multiple storms that produced lightning across the Upper Peninsula between Oct. 5 and Oct. 8. It is not unusual for a lightning strike to smolder for a few days before weather conditions, such as high winds, cause it to spread into dry fuels resulting in a wildfire. The Craig Lake Fire was detected by a DNR pilot at 1:48 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9.

Although the rain lowers the fire activity, it does create additional hazards for firefighters. Some of the roads providing access to the fire areas are now difficult to traverse due to mud, ruts and rocks. Both fires are burning in areas with a significant amount of exposed rock, which becomes very slippery and treacherous for firefighters working on suppression efforts.

Despite the rain and lowered fire activity, the fires are not extinguished. Due to the drought conditions across the Upper Peninsula, the fire is burning as deep as 2 feet in the duff layer — the layer of partially decayed organic matter on the forest floor under the loose leaf litter and above mineral soil — so the rain alone does not extinguish it. With the fire burning at these depths, it can burn the root systems of what otherwise appear to be healthy, green trees, causing them to fall without notice and creating additional hazards for firefighters.

A temporary flight restriction, or TFR, remains in place over both the Ridge Fire and Craig Lake Fire for a 5-nautical-mile radius and below 3,500 feet. The public is asked to please avoid the area around both fires so that suppression efforts are not interrupted. Drones are not permitted in the fire area as they will bring air operations to a halt.

“Although the rain is definitely helpful, we are also mindful of the additional hazards that it creates for our firefighters,” said Nate Stearns, DNR incident commander. “We’re focused on bringing everyone home safely.”

The DNR currently has 53 firefighters on the ground on the Ridge Fire and 19 firefighters on the ground on the Craig Lake Fire. A 19-person DNR Incident Management Team is managing both fires. Additional support is being provided by Michigan State Police, Marquette County Sheriff’s Office and Emergency Management, Baraga County Emergency Management, Michigamme-Spurr Fire Department and DNR Law Enforcement Division.

The Ridge Fire was spotted by a DNR pilot Friday, Oct. 9, at 3:55 p.m.; the cause of that fire remains under investigation.

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.

Note to editors: Accompanying photos taken Monday afternoon are available below for download. Caption information follows.

• Ridge Fire1
• Craig Lake Fire1