GRAYLING (WWJ) – The wildfire that scorched Northern Michigan over the weekend is now 100% contained, officials with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources announced Tuesday.
Local roads are reopening, but DNR officials are still asking people to avoid the area in Crawford County's Grayling Township as fire crews finish their work. Officials said fire crews continued putting out hot spots within the burn area Tuesday.
The fire, known as the Wilderness Trail Fire burned an estimated 2,418 acres. The DNR says it was sparked by a campfire Saturday afternoon near Staley Lake. It escaped from a private property and quickly burned southwest.
The fire burned through jack pine, mixed pine and oak in hilly, sandy terrain. It caused the evacuation of about 300 people until around 11 p.m. Saturday and closed I-75 in both directions Saturday afternoon and evening.
"We know it is interesting to see and that people are curious, but we want to make sure we have the room to get our work done safely," said Mike Janisse, commander of the DNR Incident Management Team that has been assisting with the fire. "Driving on the dry roads creates a great deal of dust, which makes for poor visibility."
DNR ground crews working on the fire were assisted by a number of local agencies and air support including water-bearing planes and helicopters from the USDA Forest Service and the Michigan State Police.
While the wildfire has been contained, fire danger remains "very high to extreme" across the state.
The DNR is not issuing permits for open burning at this time.
DNR officials say if you must build a campfire or fire for cooking, you should "keep a close eye on it at all times and keep it small. Make sure you drench it with water, stir and drench again until it is cold to the touch before leaving it."
DNR firefighters statewide have fought more than two dozen fires in the past week.
