Duck Lake Fire, May 25, 2012. Michigan DNR photo
While some of the country has been preoccupied with wildfires in New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and California, the Duck Lake fire in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan has been ripping through 20,053 acres and 95 structures, including, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR):
- 34 homes/cabins
- 22 garages
- 20 sheds/outbuildings
- 17 campers
- 1 store
- 1 motel
Six miles of the fire perimeter are along the shore of Lake Superior and the fire stretches south 11 miles to Highway 123.
The photo shows a good wet line on the north end of the Duck Lake Fire, May 25, 2012. Michigan DNR photo
Working to suppress the fire are 214 personnel, 27 engines, 13 dozers, 2 Minnesota DNR air tankers, and 4 Michigan Army National Guard Blackhawk helicopters. (UPDATE, May 29: in addition there is a Type 1 helicopter, a Skycrane, helitanker 718, which can carry a 25,000 pay load.)
An evacuation order is in effect for some homes in the Pike Lake area.
There are currently 40 miles of fire line. Of that, 6 miles is Lake Superior shoreline, 13 miles is completed line, and 21 miles is uncontained. Access is very difficult with few roads.
The entire east side of the fire, from Little Lake Harbor south, is active and with expected westerly/southwesterly winds on Monday, extreme fire conditions persist, according to the DNR.
Below is a map of the Duck Lake fire:
Wi. does not have any Cl-215′s. They either came from Minnesota or Canada.
Oops. Thanks. Made the correction.
There are at least three (or five?) CL-215s floating around in that part of the country. I expect at least two of them are Department of Interior/Bureau of Indian Affairs contracted air tankers. Here are their numbers:
N262NR (Owned by a bank in Utah)
N264V (Owned by AFI Leasing, Kingman, AZ)
N267V (Owned by a bank in Utah)
262 and 264 are in Fairbanks AK on Ex Use with the BLM. They were in MN last week with the BIA. 267 arrived in MI a few days ago on CWN. 263 & 266 are MN DNR aircraft and they have been working in MI this week. That makes 5 215s operating in the US.
…..compared to approximately 52 CL-215, 215T, and 415s operating in Canada…but who’s counting?
Appreciate the coverage. Got a kick out of the caption of the “good wet line on the north end of the Duck Lake Fire”.
It appears that the firefighters and surrounding community alike are both in great need for supplies as well. http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2012/05/duck_lake_fire_firefighters_ha.html
>the newly formed Duck Lake Fire Help Center
That’s a phrase — “Help Center” — I haven’t heard before but I’m REALLY liking it.
I am going to miss the Pike Lake Resort.
Great people, good time snowmobiling around there and staying at Pike.