Additional wildland firefighters with the U.S. Forest Service are in place, or on their way to Michigan due to hot and dry weather and the "high" to "extreme" fire danger in locations around the state.
Thursday, a team from Vermont were in place to assist wildland firefighters who work out of the Baldwin/White Cloud Ranger Station.
U.S. Forest Service Fire Officer Kevin Reese says in the last week his crews have been called to put out more than 30 fires in the district.
Reese says the fires were all smaller than 4-acres. He fears for the next fire call will be larger and consume more of the forest due to the extremely dry conditions in the Huron-Manistee National Forest.
"We're definitely at a deficit for precipitation this year," Reese said.
Forest Service employees are tracking an alarming trend this year, the growing number of unattended, and abandoned, campfires at camping site in the district.
And because conditions are so dry Reese says it's important for anyone using the forest to be extra cautious.
That includes obeying the ban on the use of any fireworks on U.S. Forest lands.
"Coming out of the Fourth of July weekend fireworks are almost a guaranteed ignition source for us," Reese said.
Signs campers were illegally using fireworks were easy to find littered at various campsites at the Shelley Lake campground just off M-37 south of Baldwin.
U.S. Forest Service Wildfire Prevention Education & Mitigation Specialist Debra-Ann Brabazon also found campfire rings stuffed with garbage, and partially burned logs hanging over the rings. She too is concerned about campers making a mistake with fire and what that could lead to during this dry stretch of weather.
"It shows me not only were there people camping here doing things like shooting off fireworks on Federal lands but they're also damaging resources," Brabazon said.
Resources like a tree stump campers attempted to burn, and a small live tree that appeared to have been pulled from the ground and left partially burned.
Brabazon wants campers to know cans and charcoal do not belong in a campfire ring. Both will hold heat sufficient to reignite a campfire long after campers leave a campsite.
One abandoned campsite Brabazon recently discovered had charcoal that registered 484-degrees on a infrared thermometer.
"That's hot for a campfire that was left this morning," she said. "If you lit it, don't leave it."
"If you have a campfire just make sure that it's out," Reese added.
To safely extinguish a campfire, you should:
- Spread the campfire apart using a stick or shovel
- Pour lots of water on the campfire
- Stir the ashes and coals a second time
- Pour on additional water.
- Stir and repeat with additional water until the ashes are cold to the touch, don't hiss, or produce any smoke.
The National Weather Service is predicting temperatures in the upper 80's and low to mid 90's around the state this weekend and into next week.
Anyone who spots an unattended campfire or wildfire no matter how small is asked to 9-1-1.
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