Wildfires in the U.S. have become a major problem in the past several years. Millions of acres burned, towns destroyed and many lives lost. We are reading and seeing stories about the thousands of firefighters trying desperately to extinguish them.

Helicopter extinguishing wildfire. Bergen, Norway.
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Even Canada seems to have been fighting fires the past several years. Smoke from those fires has affected our Michigan weather with high, grey and hazy skies during the past summers.

Climate change, warmer weather, less rain and snow all pitch in to make the fire danger more frequent.

However, we think of Michigan as a sort of safety spot away from wildfires. We have the lakes, lots of green, and usually abundant rain and snow fall.

But, not so fast there buddy. Surprisingly we have a wildfire burning in our state right now in the Summit Lake area of the Ottawa National Forest.

Rainer Lesniewski/Getty Images
Rainer Lesniewski/Getty Images
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It's in the Upper Peninsula, south of Houghton, and has burned over 100 acres in about a week according to radio station 102.5 The Block.

Folks discovered a rather small fire, covering about five acres, last Friday. No biggie, right? Wrong! It now covers 112 acres and still burns.

What started it no one knows but lots of manpower is covering the area to hopefully extinguish it.

National Park officials say:

“Fire crews assessed natural holding points for halting fire progression and continued to develop strategies utilizing minimum impact suppression tactics. They have been able to actively slow fire spread in areas where broadleaf cover exists. Aircraft will be monitoring the fire and assisting crews on the ground as needed.”

 

The good news is that no injuries have been reported and no buildings have been destroyed. But the U.P. will have a big smoke problem drifting over the area very soon.

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Gallery Credit: Isabel Sepulveda

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