Why Michigan Residents Will See Wildfires This Spring

The last thing Michigan residents want to hear about is the possibility of wildfires in our heavily wooded state.

The thought of wildfires can be extremely scary for some people, especially after seeing the devastation from major recent fires, like the ones that tore through parts of Maui or the wildfires that ravaged California and Canada. Those images of entire neighborhoods up in smoke are enough to make anyone worry.

It’s easy to think of wildfires as uncontrollable forces of nature that do nothing but destroy everything in their path. However, the reality is that some fires are actually planned and carefully controlled to help prevent the very kind of destruction that gets all the headlines.

I know, the idea of starting a fire to prevent fires sounds a little crazy. But it’s actually one of the best ways to reduce the risk of bigger, more dangerous wildfires later on.

Controlled Michigan Wildfires

According to MLive, four controlled fires are planned this spring within Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore.

In the Platte Plains area, two fires will burn a combined 1,490 acres, including one surrounding the Lasso Loop of the Platte Plains Trail and another between Peterson and Lasso Roads.

The Good Harbor Bay area will see two prescribed fires on 392 acres, one near County Road 669 and the other around the Good Harbor Bay Trail.

Controlled burns help clear out dead brush and overgrown plants, making the area less likely to catch a bigger, uncontrollable wildfire. Plus, they actually help the environment by letting new plants grow.

The planned fires will take place before May 15.