DNR: Fire crews battling wildfire near Grayling

GRAYLING, Mich. (WNEM) - Michigan Department of Natural Resources fire crews are battling a 1,000-acre wildfire southeast of Grayling.

Multiple road closures are in place due to the fire:

Northbound and southbound lanes of I-75 between 4 Mile Road Exit 251 to Down River Road Exit 256 are closed.
Staley Lake Road from M-72 to 4 Mile Road is closed.
Wilderness Trail from Keystone Landing Road to Staley Lake Road is closed.
Staley Lake Beach and Neff Lake Beach are closed.

The DNR opened the closed sections of I-75 between 4 mile Road (exit 251) to North Down River Road (exit 256) early Sunday, June 4.

The following roads are still closed due to the fire:

Staley Lake Road from M-72 to 4 Mile Road is closed.
Wilderness Trail from Keystone Landing Road to Staley Lake Road is closed.
Staley Lake Beach and Kneff Lake Beach are closed.

The wildfire has produced an abundance of smoke, so visibility may be reduced on roads. The DNR is encouraging drivers to use caution and limit exposure to the smoke by staying inside with the windows shut.

The DNR said evacuations are in affect for residents along Staley Lake Road. Residents on 4 mile between I-75 and Staley Lake need to be on standby for possible evacuation.

DNR fire crews are battling a wildfire southeast of Grayling.(WNEM TV5)

Michigan State Police said the Grayling Middle School gymnasium on 500 Spruce Street in Grayling, and the Beaver Creek Township Hall on 8888 S. Grayling Road are accepting evacuees.

A temporary flight restriction is in place for five-mile area around the area of the wildfire below 5,000 feet. The DNR said aircraft from the USFS and MSP are helping with fire suppression. Four USDA Forest Service fire boss planes and a Type 1 helicopter also have been assigned to help suppress the fire.

Fire crews are scooping water from Neff Lake, Shellenbarger Lake, and Lake Margrethe.

The DNR said the fire started around 1 p.m. about four miles southeast of Grayling near Staley Lake.

The fire cause is not yet available.

Officials said the state is currently experiencing unprecedented hot and dry conditions for this time of year, causing extreme fire danger. The DNR recommends these actions to reduce the risk of wildfire:

Never leave a fire unattended, even for a moment.
Check first to see if conditions permit open burning at Michigan.gov/BurnPermit.
Always put fires out completely with water. Drench, stir with a shovel and drench again.
Don’t park hot equipment over dry grass on the roadside, which can ignite.
More information is available at Michigan.gov/PreventWildfires.

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