The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is “highly confident” that lightning caused the Ridge Fire in Negaunee Township, but conditions have prevented final confirmation, WLUC reported.
A DNR public information officer provided the preliminary assessment in an Oct. 20 email to the station. WLUC’s report listed the fire at 466 acres and 50% containment.
The National Weather Service’s Marquette office also linked the wildfire outbreak to earlier lightning, describing how dry conditions allowed fires to smolder undetected before spreading rapidly.
The assessment adds new information about the fire roughly 10 miles northwest of Marquette. As we reported Oct. 20, officials lifted the “Ready” preparedness status for North Basin Drive residents Oct. 19.
DNR Forest Fire Officer Supervisor Pete Glover told WLUC that crews were monitoring the western edge rather than sending firefighters into difficult terrain, where an emergency rescue would be challenging.
“If we were to put people on the ground in this remote area, it would take a tremendous effort and take a long time to get somebody out,” Glover said.
WLUC reported that eight firefighters were using dozers and portable pumps to limit the fire’s spread. Dozer lines had largely contained its eastern edge.
Crews were concentrating on hot spots near the perimeter while allowing interior hot spots to burn out, the station reported.
Glover said the fire would most likely continue burning underground until heavy snowfall extinguished it. He said nearby structures were not immediately threatened, but crews could intervene again if the fire reached predetermined locations.
