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.
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:
