If you’re heading into the Michigan outdoors this Memorial Day weekend, the state wants you to be especially aware of fire risk.
The risk of fire is high across much of the state right now, though rain this past weekend “dropped the danger down some,” said Jeff Vasher, resource protection manager for the Lower Peninsula with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
Nonetheless, “even with the rain it doesn't take much for it to dry out, especially in the [pine forests] there where it takes a lot of rain to get down onto that forest floor," Vasher said.
The DNR has particular concerns about the northern Lower Peninsula because the huge number of trees and tree limbs downed in the March 2025 ice storm have now dried out. If sparked, that forest debris could lead to more intense wildfires.
Vasher said there’s already been one wildfire in that region this season, a 190-acre blaze near Tomahawk Lake east of Gaylord. He said DNR and U.S. Forest Service planes stationed nearby worked to contain that fire fairly quickly, “but if we wouldn't have had those, it would probably have been probably a 2,000 or 3,000 acre fire.”
The cause of that fire is still under investigation, but 9 out of 10 Michigan wildfires are caused by people, according to state statistics. Common causes include campfires, fireworks, and off-road vehicles and dragging trailer chains that can spark dry vegetation under certain conditions.
If you’re planning to enjoy state forests this coming weekend, “just be careful when you're out in the woods,” Vasher advised. The DNR urges campers and hikers to use basic safety measures, such as never leaving campfires — including hot coals — unattended.
