Fire crews spent the last week battling the Benzie Road Fire near Houghton Lake in Roscommon State Forest, Michigan. The fire grew to 101 acres before it was contained, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
Mid-Michigan has been experiencing moderate to severe droughts due to a lack of rainfall since early September. The ongoing dry spell in the northern Lower Peninsula played a major role in the fire’s size and intensity. As droughts become more frequent and severe, fires like these will become more common. Additionally, droughts contribute to “weaker, poorly formed trees that are susceptible to disease,” which, when left unmanaged, lead to “lots of ladder fuel, and potential for downward spiral,” according to Jim Schmierer, who is the professor of Michigan Tech’s wildland fire course. Schmierer explained that when fuel accumulates, it doesn’t take much to start a forest fire. “It could be a cigarette, an ember from a campfire, or a small fire that got away,” he said.
Forest fires can become intense and out of control under drought conditions, but low to moderate-intensity fires are a natural disturbance that play an essential role in forest ecology. “Fire is never ‘bad’, but it can burn at intensities that might not be normal based on forest cover type and ecosystem,” said Gavin Kelso, second-year forestry student and President of the Wildland Fire Club. “‘Bad’ would make a forest irreparable, but that never happens. Plants come back in.” Kelso explained that reintroducing fire into an ecosystem can restore it to its natural state, though this process is challenging when too much fuel has accumulated, as discussed earlier. However, forest management practices such as removing smaller trees and undergrowth can solve this by reducing the risk of an out-of-control fire.
Students interested in wildland fire can take Schmierer’s course or get hands-on training through the Wildland Fire Club. Visit “Wildland Fire Club” on Involvement Link or message them on Instagram at @mtu_wildlandfireclub.
