Crews continue work on Wilderness Trail Fire near Grayling

Michigan Department of Natural Resources sent this bulletin at 06/05/2023 02:08 PM EDT

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DNR News

June 5, 2023
Media contact: Laurie Abel, 517-599-6703

Crews continue working on wildfire southeast of Grayling, now more than 90% contained

Blackened trees and ash are visible at the site of a wildfire

With slightly cooler weather aiding firefighting efforts, crews continued work Monday to suppress the Wilderness Trail Fire that has burned an estimated 2,400 acres southeast of Grayling. The fire is more than 90% contained.

Fire crews from multiple agencies are working to reinforce a containment line on the south side of the fire, move from suppression to mop-up status, reopen the rail line north of 4 Mile Road and reopen the fire area to the public.

Conditions remain dry and fire risk is very high or extreme across much of the state. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is not issuing burn permits.

“There’s not enough rain today to make a significant reduction in fire danger,” said Mike Janisse, commander of the DNR Incident Management Team that is assisting with the fire. “Even though it feels cooler, conditions are very dry and extreme fire conditions are expected to continue in the Grayling area and around the state.”

A tree, burned by the fire, is still standing despite having most of its base burned. Vegetation is burned in the background.

People cause nine out of 10 wildfires and burning yard debris is the top wildfire cause in Michigan. The Wilderness Trail Fire started with a campfire.

The DNR urges people to use an abundance of caution if they are making a campfire or a cooking fire. Keep a water source nearby and never leave any fire unattended, even for a moment. Get more fire safety tips at Michigan.gov/PreventWildfires.

The DNR will continue to share updates via news releases and on the department Twitter account at Twitter.com/MichiganDNR.

Note to editors: Accompanying photos and resources are available below; caption information follows.

  • PDF map: PDF map of the Wilderness Trail Fire area southeast of Grayling in Crawford County, which has burned approximately 2,400 acres.
  • Burned trees: Blackened trees and ash are visible in the area where the Wilderness Trail Fire burned.  
  • Burn area: A tree stands on a spindly burned base after encountering wildfire.
  • Fire danger map: Great Lakes Fire and Fuels map displaying current fire danger conditions. Much of Michigan is experiencing extreme fire danger.