Duck Lake Fire temporarily closes Tahquamenon Falls State Park

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 25, 2012

 

Contact: Harold Herta, 517-335-5695 or Ed Golder, 517-335-3014

 

 

Duck Lake Fire temporarily closes Tahquamenon Falls State Park

 

The Department of Natural Resources today announced that, due to the growing Duck Lake Fire in Luce County (now approaching 20,000 acres), it will temporarily close the Tahquamenon Falls State Park’s Lower Falls campground and Upper Falls viewing area.

 

Park staff has relocated all campers from the Lower Falls campground to either the Rivermouth campground or Muskallonge Lake State park, which at this time are both considered safe alternatives because the fire is east of Muskallonge Lake and north of Rivermouth.

 

More than 100 arriving campers have been contacted – either by message or direct contact by the DNR’s customer reservation system (CRS) staff – and they have either canceled their reservations (with full refunds) or been transferred to other parks.

 

The DNR is evacuating all visitors from the Lower Falls campground and the Upper Falls viewing area. These areas will also be barricaded to prevent subsequent entry. 

 

It is currently anticipated that if the fire continues on its current path it will be within one mile of the Upper Falls viewing area sometime tonight.

 

Visitors are asked to avoid the Tahquamenon Falls area this Memorial Holiday weekend due to the fire danger and the existing, deteriorating heavy smoke conditions. No reservations will be available for either the Lower Falls campground or the Rivermouth campground now through May 31. The Upper Falls viewing area will remain closed until fire staff determines that entry is deemed safe.

 

The DNR strongly encourages all residents and visitors to avoid open burning and use of any fireworks during this extremely high fire-danger season, in order to minimize the possibility of more wildfires. For wildfire prevention tips, information and home protection ideas, visit www.michigan.gov/preventwildfires.

 

For more information on the Duck Lake Fire situation, visit www.michigan.gov/dnr or follow www.twitter.com/michiganDNR, www.twitter.com/michiganDNR_UP or www.facebook.com/miDNR.