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October 28, 2026
DNR continues monitoring Rugged Terrain Complex and two smaller fires in the UP
In recent days, the Ridge Fire in Marquette County grew by about 30 acres on its west side due to winds pushing the blaze, bringing the overall fire to almost 500 acres. Despite that, it remains well within firefighters' confinement strategy.
Winds also contributed to two other Upper Peninsula fires over the weekend: a four-acre fire in Marquette Township near Wetmore Pond, which firefighters refer to as the Game 2 Fire, and an 11-acre fire in Sands Township known as the Silver Leaf Fire. Michigan Department of Natural Resources firefighters worked with local fire departments to battle those fires.
The Ridge Fire is still burning deep in the duff layer of the forest floor, composed of fallen leaves and organic matter.
This fire is about 10 miles northwest of Marquette, between County Road 510 and North Basin Drive. It was spotted by airplane Oct. 9 and is part of the Rugged Terrain Complex, which also includes the 606-acre Craig Lake Fire in Baraga County and the 350-acre Black River Fire near Wakefield.
“We continue to monitor it daily from the air and on the ground, and we're keeping a close watch on it, so we can continue to hold and improve the lines that we have,” said Peter Glover, fire supervisor in the DNR's Gwinn Unit.
The same steep rocky terrain that has made the Ridge Fire difficult to fight also contributes to keeping it from spreading, Glover said. Trails and roads also help keep fire from spreading.
“There are a lot of natural features that check this fire,” Glover said. “What’s going to stop this fire and put it out is season-ending rain and/or snow.”
Glover said people who live near the Ridge Fire may still see and smell smoke, depending on the direction of the wind.
Other Rugged Terrain Complex fires are largely contained and within the same footprint they have been.
“The DNR Is continuing to monitor all of these daily, and we have good plans in place,” Glover said.
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.Contact: John Pepin, 906-226-1352
The Department of Natural Resources is committed to providing Michigan residents the opportunity to share input and ideas on policy decisions, programs and other aspects of natural resource management and outdoor recreation opportunities.
Here are a few of this week's stories from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
Warmer than normal temperatures and gusty winds in the Upper Peninsula weather forecast mean more people working and playing outside mixed with a wildfire risk that’s higher than usual this late in the season.
Most people associate forest products with building materials like lumber and wood, but without Michigan’s raw material production you wouldn’t have a smartphone.
Here’s the real scary part about bats: Their numbers were decimated by a fungal disease called white-nose syndrome more than a decade ago and, despite researchers’ ongoing efforts, have not yet recovered. That’s frightening because bats play an important role in our world.
With repair work on trestle footings continuing beyond a previously anticipated completion date, a section of snowmobile Trail UP8 will be closed this winter, with a reroute available.
Do you fish the Muskegon River between Croton Dam and the river mouth at Lake Michigan? This fall you might see in the channel lake whitefish carrying acoustic telemetry tags and acoustic receivers for tracking the fish.
Most crew activity across the three Rugged Terrain Complex fires in the Upper Peninsula is beginning to wind down, with firefighters focusing on finding residual fire activity and patrolling containment lines as fire behavior remains calm and steady.
After a week of living under the “Ready, Set, Go!” protocol for potential evacuations initiated in response to the Ridge Fire, located 10 miles northwest of Marquette, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Marquette County Sheriff’s Office and Emergency Management have lifted the “Ready” status for residents along North Basin Drive.
