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Michigan DNR prepares for wildfire season
Michigan averages more than 200 wildfires per year. The Department of Natural Resources says fires burned almost 1,500 acres statewide in 2024.
Most happen in the spring. Trees, grass, brush and leaves that dried out over the winter can catch fire easily. Warm temperatures, high winds and low humidity can turn small fires into big ones.
The DNR has more than 60 full-time firefighters and lots of heavy equipment to contain the flames.
Jeff Vasher is the department’s resource protection manager for the Lower Peninsula. He says training starts before the snow melts.
“Last year, we were fighting fires in late February,” he says. “We’re always doing something to prepare for the wildfire season, because, once it starts, it’s a long two or three months until it greens up.”
Fighting fire with fire
One method the state uses to prevent and control wildfires is “prescribed burning.” Vasher says the DNR selects a certain number of acres to burn each year.
“Last year, we did over 100 burns and over 10,000 acres,” he says.
Vasher says prescribed burns help control invasive species and improve wildlife habitats. They also minimize the risk of major wildfires like the ones that ravaged the Los Angeles area.
“You’re cutting down on fuel so it can’t burn like you see with the big fires out west,” he says.
Related: DNR warns ice storms can damage trees
Partnerships are critical
The DNR doesn’t work alone. It gets help from local fire departments as well as the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Michigan is also part of the Great Lakes Forest Fire Compact.
The Trump administration has been slashing jobs and funding throughout the federal government. Vasher says he’s not a “budget guy,” but adds that the DNR still has a job to do regardless of how much support it gets from Washington.
“When COVID happened, we still had fires, and we still put them out,” he says.
Only you?
DNR statistics show that humans cause most wildfires, usually due to carelessness while burning debris. Vasher says knowing how to burn safely can reduce the danger.
“If you’re going to burn, make sure you’ve got a hose with you and burn small piles,” he says. “Don’t burn on windy days.”
The DNR says campers should be careful, too. Vasher says they need to use plenty of water and be sure their campfires are completely out before they leave.
“We’ve had lots of fires start up where they thought the fire was out and then the wind picks up, there’s an ember still burning, and it takes off,” he says. “We always tell them to make it a muddy mess, like soup.”
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