Michigan at "very high to extreme" fire risk across the state, officials say

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources says it's not hard to spark a wildfire with the recent summer-like weather in the state. Even the blade of a lawnmower hitting a rock can spark a flame. 

"Today and for the next several days here, we're at very high to extreme, basically across the entire state," said Paul Rogers, a DNR fire prevention specialist.

He said right now the weather is really to blame for this heightened risk. 

"It's been quite a stretch here where we've received no rain. So the fuels of concern normally this time of year are the grasses and leaves," he said. 

Rogers said 80% of the fires that burn out of control every year are human-caused, and of those, the largest culprit is small burns. 

"It's debris burning, meaning people open burning in their yards--when it starts to get this dry, we see chains being dragged, spark arresters on ATVs and motorcycles that aren't working correctly. It could be as simple as someone mowing their lawn, and the more hits rock and sparks."

Rogers said that anyone heading out for camping can still have a campfire, but the DNR isn't issuing new burn permits until we see some rain. Residents should contact their local fire department or the DNR, depending on where they are, to check whether it's safe to burn yard debris. 

"The biggest thing we hear is that when we get on scene, people are like, 'We've never seen anything move that fast before.' And in this type of conditions, when it's this dry, it's going to. So we're asking people, just don't burn, wait until we get some rain and follow the burn permit system." 

If you have a campfire, Rogers said it's important to have a hose or at least a five-gallon bucket at the ready. When it's time to put out the fire, drown it with water, then stir it with a shovel and repeat until the fire is completely soaked through.