The Michigan Department of Natural Resources confirmed on Oct. 18 that the cause a fire burning near Wakefield in the western Upper Peninsula was lightning.
The Black River Fire is the second of the three wildfires making up the the Rugged Terrain Complex determined to have started by lightning. The Craig Lake Fire also was started by a lightning strike, the DNR previously said.
The three wildfires — Ridge Fire, Craig Lake Fire and Black River Fire — managed under one team as theRugged Terrain Complex now are all more than 50% contained, the DNR said Sunday night.
The Black River Fire is 70% contained after burning 350 acres. The DNR said the charring pattern on a group of cedar trees, validated by lightning strike mapping, led investigators to confirm
lightning as the cause.
“The way an individual leaf curls or ‘freezes’ in the heat, the direction the grass stems fall or the angle of char on tree trunks can lead us back to where the fire started,” said Deputy Incident Commander Jennifer Hansen. “We study these details to help determine the cause.”
The Craig Lake Fire, near Craig Lake State Park north of Michigamme, now is 90% contained after burning more than 600 acres.
The Ridge Fire, northwest of Marquette near the Dead River Basin, remains under investigation while crews gain on containment. The fire now is 50% contained after burning 466 acres.
More than 100 firefighters and other personnel are taking part in the effort to extinguish the fires.
Park closures in effect
Craig Lake State Park, north of Craig Lake proper and the Teddy Lake Yurt, remains closed through the end of October to ensure the safety of the public during ongoing wildfire suppression efforts, the DNR said
The North Country Trail within Craig Lake State Park also remains closed due to ongoing fire suppression operations.
The remainder of Craig Lake State Park is open to the public.
Jalen Williams is a trending reporter at the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at jawilliams1@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: DNR confirms lightning sparked second U.P. wildfire. What they said
