Dry conditions lead to heightened wildfire concerns in Northern Michigan

Karly Graham, The Petoskey News-Review
·1 min read
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A full crown wildfire burns in jack pine and red pine in northern Wexford County in 2023.
A full crown wildfire burns in jack pine and red pine in northern Wexford County in 2023.

NORTHERN MICHIGAN — Temperatures are warming up and summer is on its way — bringing with it dryer conditions and heightened concerns about wildfire risk.

Andy Sullivan, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Gaylord, said that while there has been rain this spring, the sandy soil in the state dries up moisture fast.

A Michigan DNR Fire Control truck is seen at a wildfire in Grayling Township in 2023.
A Michigan DNR Fire Control truck is seen at a wildfire in Grayling Township in 2023.

Springtime marks a transitional period, when plants that were dead and dormant during winter are starting to bloom again, with grass growing and leaves sprouting. There is also a greater risk of things drying up, leading to higher fire risks.

“There’s more moisture in that stuff versus everything that’s dormant or dead from the winter,” Sullivan said. “It’s not dry anymore when you start growing things.”

Dry conditions in the spring lead to higher risks of a wildfire.
Dry conditions in the spring lead to higher risks of a wildfire.

As of Tuesday, most of Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula are in the "Very High" fire risk category.

Sullivan said the biggest concerns stem from the possibility of winds after a fire is lit.

“If people are out there burning and it’s real windy out and it’s warm and we have low dew points ... if there was a fire that started it could spread really quickly,” he said.

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The dryness of fuels like sticks, leaves and grass elevates the risk of wildfires during this time of year, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

Statewide fire conditions can be found at glff.mesowest.org. Any wildfires should immediately be reported to 911.

— Contact reporter Karly Graham at kgraham@petoskeynews.com. Follow her on Twitter at @KarlyGrahamJRN.

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Dry conditions lead to heightened wildfire concerns in Northern Michigan