Huron National Forest Fire: Controlled Burn Gone Awry Contained

As I was getting everything around today for my weekend up north in the Au Sable area, this news definitely caught my eye. My friend's I'm visiting live in Mio, a town you literally drive in the Huron National Forest to get to. Needless to say, I was concerned for a multitude of reasons.

Not only that, but just last week we found that River Road National Scenic Byway that runs through Iosco County was named Michigan's "Most Scenic Drive" for 2021, and Iosco County is where this fire was.

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Fire? What Fire?

According to MLive that the fire started on April 23rd when a controlled burn on the Huron Shores Ranger Districts of the forest got...not-so-controlled.

As of Friday (April 30) MLive reports the U.S. Forest Service said what they are calling the “Brittle Fire” is at 5,781 acres and they say it was all Forest Service land and no structures have been lost to it.

How It's Affecting The Area

My friends who live around here and frequent Tawas and Grayling, they say road traffic in that area was not affected much, though the fire did end up reaching the side of the road. They said when they saw it in person it had been contained and pushed back more that the trees were burned were still smoldering. Though fishing was definitely a lot smokier than usual.

Lee Martin

As far as people who live closer to the blaze, 65 residents were evacuated from their homes the day the fire started but were able to return later that night.

Josh Veal, public affairs officer for the Huron-Manistee National Forests is advising the community to be "on high alert" for fire equipment, personnel and other hazards like "fire-damaged hazard trees." Also, because of aircraft operations and general safety, people are being asked not to fly unauthorized drones.

How The Containment Is Going

As of Friday (April 30th), MLive reports the fire is 98% contained.

Now there of course is interest and speculation as to what caused the fire, Veal shares with MLive. However, he did add, "We believe the most effective way to answer those questions is through a full review which agency policy requires, and we will share the facts and valuable lessons learned after the full review is complete."

For now, we can only hope this wasn't another wildfire started by another gender reveal.

LOOK: Stunning vintage photos capture the beauty of America's national parks

Today these parks are located throughout the country in 25 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The land encompassing them was either purchased or donated, though much of it had been inhabited by native people for thousands of years before the founding of the United States. These areas are protected and revered as educational resources about the natural world, and as spaces for exploration.

Keep scrolling for 50 vintage photos that show the beauty of America's national parks.

The Scenic Beauty Of Northeast Michigan

Big Seven Travel has named the River Road National Scenic Byway as Michigan's "Most Scenic Drive" for 2021. It is a gorgeous stretch of road filled with forests, trails, scenic overlooks and runs parallel to the historic Au Sable River

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