Firefighters working to contain 85-acre wildfire near Houghton Lake in northern Michigan
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources says fire crews on Monday were working to contain a wildfire near Houghton Lake in Roscommon County.
State officials say the fire has been burning since Sunday afternoon east of Old U.S. Highway 27, impacting about 85 acres "in a marshy area of mixed pine and hardwood forest, where dry fuels and gusty winds have challenged firefighting efforts," according to a news release.
Officials urge the public to avoid the area until further notice. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
"High winds have made suppression challenging, but firefighters are holding the lines and continuing to reinforce containment," said Jeff Vasher, DNR Lower Peninsula resource protection manager.
In a Facebook post Monday evening, the DNR says most of the Lower Peninsula is under a high or very high fire risk. The DNR says dry conditions are contributing to the high fire conditions throughout the state.
Officials suspended burn permits on Oct. 3 to reduce wildfires in the state and urged residents to refrain from outdoor burning to prevent large fires in dry conditions.
"We are currently experiencing severe drought conditions across the mid-to-lower peninsula," added Paul Rogers, DNR fire prevention specialist. "While there is some chance of rain tonight and tomorrow, expected rainfall amounts will not be enough to ease the drought or reduce the overall fire danger."