With the weather across Michigan being warm, sunny and dry in recent days, the Michigan DNR is warning people of a high fire risk.
According to the DNR, most areas in the northern Lower Peninsula and Upper Peninsula are at an elevated fire risk, and it's expected to continue through the weekend.
Permits for burning yard debris will be restricted, but campfires are still allowed.
“While there is a chance of rain over the weekend, it’s important to know the current risks and keep up to date on restrictions,” said Don Klingler, Lower Peninsula resource protection manager with the DNR’s Forest Resources Division.
This year alone, DNR fire staffers have fought more than 130 fires on nearly 600 acres.
To further reduce the risk of fire:
- Be careful when using all-terrain vehicles, lawn mowers or other outdoor machinery. In dry conditions, even heat from a lawn mower or exhaust pipe of an ATV can ignite dry grass. A trailer chain dragging on pavement can create sparks that ignite grass.
- Never leave any fire unattended, even for a moment.
- Make sure all debris fires and campfires are extinguished before leaving the area.Learn more about specific fire danger [lnks.gd] by region, or get fire prevention tips [lnks.gd].
State park campgrounds open on June 22, and campers are only allowed to have campfires in designated fire rings.
