Containment expanded on U.P. wildfires
850 acres lost to date
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CRAIG LAKE - Cooler weather conditions allowed firefighters to establish initial containment perimeters on two active wildfires in Baraga and Marquette counties, though updated mapping shows the blazes have burned a combined 850 acres.
According to a Tuesday morning update from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the Craig Lake Fire in Baraga County is now estimated at 400 acres and is 25% contained. The Ridge Fire northwest of Marquette has reached an estimated 450 acres and is 20% contained.
On Monday afternoon, the DNR reported the evacuation order for residents on County Road 510 in Marquette County has been lifted due to increased humidity and lower temperatures on Monday afternoon.
"Due to increased humidity and lower temperatures, the fire activity on the Ridge Fire has settled down to the point that the DNR and Marquette County Sheriff's Office have lifted the evacuation order for the residents on County Road 510 that were previously evacuated," the DNR stated in a social media post. "Additionally, the 'Ready, Set, Go!' status for residents on North Basin Drive has now shifted back to 'Ready' status."
An 18-person DNR Incident Management Team is currently directing suppression efforts. The agency has deployed 34 ground firefighters to the Ridge Fire and 17 ground firefighters to the Craig Lake Fire.
Ground operations at the Craig Lake site remain limited by remote terrain north of the state park. Portions of the fire perimeter are inaccessible to vehicular equipment, forcing crews to hike into the backcountry on foot and utilize hand tools to clear vegetation down to bare mineral soil.
A shift in wind direction on Monday began driving heavy smoke from both burn sites southward. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) issued an active air quality alert for Baraga, Marquette, Iron, Dickinson, and Menominee counties. State officials noted that the smoke density is a result of the wind shift rather than an increase in active fire expansion.
A five-nautical-mile Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) remains in effect below 3,500 feet over both fire zones. The DNR reiterated that all civilian drone use must remain grounded within the restriction zone to prevent an immediate suspension of aerial firefighting operations. The causes of both fires remain under investigation.
According to the DNR, the fires were both spotted by a DNR pilot on Friday, with the Craig Lake Fire discovered at 1:48 p.m. and the Ridge Fire discovered at 3:55 p.m.; the cause of both fires is still under investigation.