Unprecedented conditions lead to Whitmer warning: 'Do not have fires outside'

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer warned Michigan residents on Monday not to set fires outside because of the dry conditions that led over the weekend to a fire southeast of Grayling that has already consumed 2,400 acres.

Michigan remains at an extreme risk for wildfires, the state Department of Natural Resources warned Monday. The vast majority of the state is listed at "extreme" or "very high" risk of a fire, according to a U.S. Forest Service map of fire conditions.

"It has been a very dry spring, and we want people to know, you know: Do not have fires outside right now," Whitmer told reporters at a Flint automotive event on Monday. "It's just that things are too dry, and it could be a very dangerous situation."

The current extreme level of fire danger is unprecedented for this time of year, said Kerry Heckman, DNR incident management team public information officer, particularly the amount of dry material available to fuel a fire.

It has been more than a month since most of Michigan received significant rainfall and there isn't one in the forecast. The ground is covered with fuels like dried grass and pine needles.

Michigan firefighters are still a fire southeast of Grayling that is the largest to sweep through the state this year, but that's not why it is so alarming to the state wildlands fire team.

"The next one is right around the corner," said Laurie Abel, a Michigan Department of Natural Resources spokesperson. "And it could be bigger."

Conditions are so dry a single spark could unleash a blaze.

"It can be as minimal as a lawnmower blade hitting a rock that causes a spark," Heckan said. "The potential for it to ignite is nearly 100%."

Among the areas with a "high" risk of fire — below the extreme and very high risk throughout the rest of the state — in the lower peninsula are the Monroe County area, Detroit/Grosse Pointe, the Thumb area near Verona Township, the Hart area in west Michigan and the Atlanta area in northeast Michigan, according to the forest Service map. The Port Hope area in the Thumb region was the only moderate area in the lower peninsula.

Most of the Upper Peninsula was at extreme or very high risk of fire as well.

The Grayling fire is more than 90% contained as of Monday evening. Crews from Wisconsin have joined Michigan fire fighters to combat the blaze. They are extinguishing hot spots and smoky spots on Monday and hope to soon transition from extinguishing the fire to cleaning up after it.

Dozens of structures including 35 residences and 58 outbuildings, as well as 38 vehicles, 12 campers and three boats have been damaged or destroyed by the fire, Abel said. The department does not estimate the cost of the damage nor does it determine whether to pursue fines or charges for igniting wildfires, according to DNR officials.

Recreation areas at Kneff and Staley lakes have reopened as well as railroad tracks north of 4 Mile Road following inspection, according to the DNR. Roads within the 2,400-acre fire in Grayling Township are expected to open Tuesday, the department said.

But residents and visitors are being warned to stay out of blackened areas because dead trees could pose a hazard and the ground still may be warm in some areas. People should stay on the roads and keep their pets on leashes, according to the DNR.

“Please avoid the area if possible,” said Mike Janisse, commander of the DNR Incident Management Team assisting with the fire.“A newly burned area can be very interesting to look at, but make sure you stay a safe distance away from the burned area,” Janisse said in a statement.

The fire was started by a campfire on private land at roughly 1 p.m. Saturday. It started in an area heavy with jack pine trees, which are flammable, said Kathleen Lavey, a DNR spokesperson.

But climate change is predicted to make these conditions more common. Scientists warn Michigan will experience more frequent summer droughts and warmer average temperatures as the climate warms.

A team of DNR fire management experts is working on a plan to prepare the department for future wildfire seasons, Heckman said. Forecasting how climate change will impact fires is part of that plan.

"Things like that are on our radar and they're actively working towards determining how we can best prepare ourselves," Heckman said.

For now, the department has stopped issuing burn permits for yard debris in the northern half of the Lower Peninsula and the Upper Peninsula. Heckman said southern Michigan residents should check with their local municipalities and fire departments about burn permits.

"People can still have campfires or cookfires, but they should do so with extreme caution and make sure everything is fully, fully extinguished and cool before they walk away," she said.

ckthompson@detroitnews.com

Staff Writer Kalea Hall contributed.