Posted on 04/17/2005 3:51:06 PM PDT by Dan from Michigan
Fire eats 1,500-acres of mid-Michigan forest before being contained
4/17/2005, 1:20 p.m. ET
The Associated Press
NESTER TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — A weekend forest fire in Roscommon County burned about 1,500 acres, prompting some precautionary evacuations before fire crews contained the blaze by early Sunday.
Jim Fisher, the state Department of Natural Resources' fire management specialist, said crews had established a controlled perimeter around the fire by about 4 a.m. EDT Sunday and continued to "mop it up," and put down hot spots.
Crews from three townships and the state used bulldozers and off-road engines in addition to regular tankers, Fisher said. The cause of the fire, which started Saturday afternoon, had not been determined
People living in as many as 20 homes, primarily in Nester Township, were evacuated Saturday night as a precaution. But the DNR said Sunday afternoon that all evacuated people had returned to their homes.
One structure described by fire officials as "seasonal residential" was lost in the blaze, but several homes were saved by fire breaks and no injuries were reported, DNR spokeswoman Mary Dettloff said Sunday.
The area is heavily forested, mainly with jack and red pines and the hardwoods of oak and aspen, Fisher said.
The area hasn't had rain in about two weeks, he said, making conditions prime for a fast-spreading fire.
He estimated that he fire would not be completely extinguished until mid-week or a good rain.
Dan,
I almost burned down Spring Arbor when my brush fire flared back up some 24 hours after we thought it was out. Had it hit the white pines in my back yard we'd still have fire trucks here.
The entire State of Michigan is ready to burn. If we don't get some rain soon, Devil's Nite won't be held Detroit alone this year.
Dan,
I almost burned down Spring Arbor when my brush fire flared back up some 24 hours after we thought it was out. Had it hit the white pines in my back yard we'd still have fire trucks here.
The entire State of Michigan is ready to burn. If we don't get some rain soon, Devil's Nite won't be held Detroit alone this year.
SUSAN: Do you smell something?
JERRY: Yeah, smoke.
GEORGE: yeah, Definite smoke.
ELAINE: Argh, look at the fire!
JERRY: Holy cow! look at that!
SUSAN: IT'S MY FATHER'S CABIN!
ELAINE: The CABIN is on fire!
GEORGE: I just realized. Ya' never gave me back the change from the toll.
ELAINE: How could this have happened?
KRAMER: ... wild funky mountain man ...
N: Oy, my god, the cabin?
JERRY: What are you two doin' here?
N: Look at that.
JERRY: You didn't
KRAMER: My Cubans!
It is awfully dry. The trees are going to burst into leaves when we get some rain. I think some rain moved across the southern tier of counties today but I didn't get a drop near Brooklyn.
Anyone with any John Cheever letters better collect them up now!
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