GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Each April, as temperatures warm and winds increase, fire departments across Michigan are taxed by field fires typically caused by careless burning.
Some fires burn only a few hundred feet while others burn thousands of acres. It’s a real concern for people with seasonal homes and cottages in northern Michigan, where unseasonably warm March weather and high winds have created tinder-like conditions.
“It’s created hazardous burning conditions in many areas,” said Russell Kidd, Michigan State University Extension forestry educator based in Roscommon County.
The forestry expert saw the carnage firsthand in May 2010, when two large fires in northern Michigan’s Crawford County, east of Grayling, scorched more than 15 square miles and destroyed or damaged at least 18 homes and 39 other buildings.
Late March wildfires in Colorado killed three people and raised questions about the effectiveness of automated evacuation warnings. And last week, numerous wildfires burned in states on the East Coast, including New York, Connecticut, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Florida.
Fire elicits a primal fear in people, and rightfully so. But fire also is an effective tool in land management, as evidenced by rejuvenating burns conducted by Native Americans across the great prairies before settlers arrived and put the kibosh on them.
Indeed, the state of Michigan, the U.S. Forest Service and myriad municipalities use fire to restore lands taken over by invasive species.
The Kent County Parks Department is planning a prescribed burn at Luton Park in Cannon Township, east of Rockford. Up to 65 acres are being eyed, although weather conditions dictate the scope of the burn.
Areas of Luton Park, off Kies Street NE, for decades were fertile farmland, yielding corn and soybean crops year after year.
Since farming operations ceased, invasive plants have taken hold. Controlled burns incinerate dead vegetation, which promotes plant growth by returning nutrients to the soil and giving sunlight an opportunity to warm the ground earlier in the spring.
Deep-rooted prairie plants can regenerate and thrive, using their below-ground energy reserves, said Brian Mulligan, landscape architect with the Kent County Parks Department, who is helping oversee the Luton Park burn.
I’ve seen the benefits of this firsthand, having participated in a prescribed burn of several hundred acres of state land near Greenville in April 2008.
Every three years or so, I burn areas of my property to reduce the thatch layer of grass known as duff.
The charred areas green up within weeks and have filled in with native switch grass and little bluestem, along with native wildflowers such as black-eyed Susan and coreopsis.
Fire in the hole
Excessive dead vegetation is particularly vulnerable to fire in early spring. This is why you will not see prescribed burns on windy days.
What you will see are many emergency runs by township fire departments responding to grass and field fires, often sparked by careless homeowners.
“As you scan the horizon for the telltale signs of smoke from wildfires, perhaps you also should scan your property to see if your home and other personal property are in good condition to minimize damage from spreading flames and embers from wildfires,” said Kidd, the MSU forestry expert.
“Cleaning a space around the home can reduce wildfire threat,” he said. “Even ... cleaning gutters and eaves of leaves and debris can prevent an ember from igniting a home.”
Changing, reducing or eliminating the amount or type of fuel near your building by creating a fire break also reduces exposure to fire, Kidd said.
Fuel breaks should be around all buildings and be at least 30 feet wide with more width on the downhill side of a slope, he said.
“Clear a 3-foot strip around the outside of each building right down to sand or gravel,” Kidd explained. “This cuts down on the threat of a surface fire burning across the strip and reaching the building.”
If mulching, Kidd recommends non-flammable types of mulch, such as rocks, gravel or pea-stone.
Away from the building, a lawn or rock garden make good fuel breaks.
Trees within 30 feet of the house should have lower branches removed up to a height of between 6 to 10 feet to prevent fires from “laddering” up into tree crowns.
Also, homeowners should be especially vigilant to remove broken and downward-leaning branches of conifer trees, which serve as flash fuel when visited by fire.
Email John Hogan: firstname.lastname@example.org