[todd00]

maybe its my weak eyes at 340am, but i didnt see any thread reference the fires. hope pple are all doing ok that live in the fire area. i see pple have been allowed to return to their homes. very sad about the fires. something i never really thought of in an area noted for snow and cool temps. how often has this happened in the past?

[Michigansnowflake]

Wild fires happen every year in Michigan

DNR - Michigan Wildfire Information

[bluebird39]

Here's an interesting link:

http://www.nifc.gov/nicc/sitreprt.pdf

It is a daily updated list of all of the wildfires in the US.

DH is in wildfire management here in Michigan, and we've lived in Oregon too. I have no idea, other than the "Michigan gets no respect" why fires here don't get as much press. They DO happen, we just never hear much about them. Certainly California has more people, including tons of multi-million dollar homes, but Michigan has had many fires in the 2-3 years that we've been here that have gotten no press at all, even though structures are burned, people evacuated, etc... I don't' get it at all.

Yes, MI has wildfires, and yes they're just as dangerous as out West, but just not as "glamorous" I guess. Maybe the TV networks and press agencies can't find reporters willing to take assignments to Michigan but they can out West?

Regardless, it is only the HUGE fires that ever make the news, no matter where you are. The vast majority of fires are tiny 1-2 acre wildfires that get caught in time and of course those don't make the news at all (don't even make the "sit. report".

BUT, it IS fire season, and we're going into a heavy tourist week-end in extremely dry conditions, as we haven't gotten any rain recently. Early Spring is the typical fire season in the East (and Midwest, and south), then the SW and Alaska gets busy, then late summer the West, and it seems like California is always in fire season now.

Be careful with fire this week-end and always!

[stanman13]

An unusual danger with UP wildfires, as I always understood it, is the possibility of a peat fire. Because of the large amount of peat in the soil, these fires can smoulder underground for a long time before they break through to the surface. You probably wouldn't even know there is a fire, it could be burning right under your feet. That is the reason, for example, that in the Porkies you can only build a fire on a sod table.

Someone with more knowledge might be able to correct me or add more information.

[jmlowman]

One of the other problems with fires in CA is that many of them have been set deliberately, including one that took the lives of firefighters. Fortunately that idiot was caught and is facing multiple counts of murder.

[Nephler]

Originally Posted by stanman13

An unusual danger with UP wildfires, as I always understood it, is the possibility of a peat fire. Because of the large amount of peat in the soil, these fires can smoulder underground for a long time before they break through to the surface. You probably wouldn't even know there is a fire, it could be burning right under your feet. That is the reason, for example, that in the Porkies you can only build a fire on a sod table.

Someone with more knowledge might be able to correct me or add more information.

The peat moss during the Sleeper Lake fire in 2007 was a big issue.

[crazyme4878]

Originally Posted by bluebird39

...Yes, MI has wildfires, and yes they're just as dangerous as out West, but just not as "glamorous" I guess. Maybe the TV networks and press agencies can't find reporters willing to take assignments to Michigan but they can out West?...

Well, fire is dangerous no matter what, but it spreads unbelievably fast in the west were things are extremely dry. Michigan has a bad fire season when the Spring has been dry, but--as an example--we (SE Arizona) haven't had any moisture really since last September. Maybe an inch? And California? Well, the masses of people, especially wealthy people, as well as major news outlets already there contribute to the wide coverage.

I wish everyone could have the fire response we have here--within minutes the planes and helis are preparing the attack. But like I said, the fire sweeps even faster here. There was a fire in Bisbee, AZ last week. They attacked it immediately with tremendous force and held it to around 200 acres, but I drove through there yesterday and holy crap! It was feet away from starting in on the houses and then it would swept down the canyon and taken out an entire town!

Still, my thoughts are with my former town--I hope the community continues to pull together to help everyone out!

[Fontucky]

Originally Posted by jmlowman

One of the other problems with fires in CA is that many of them have been set deliberately, including one that took the lives of firefighters. Fortunately that idiot was caught and is facing multiple counts of murder.

Back in March he was found guilty of 5 counts of 1st degree murder by arson.
A week later the jury recommended the death penalty. Sentencing is June 5.