Michigan Wildfire Claims More Buildings

A wildfire in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula that started a week ago has burned 95 buildings, with no reports of injuries or deaths.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources in a statement on Monday said that while “inspections are ongoing,” damages for the entire fire have not been fully taken into account. The state agency said it investigated 31 properties, with some experiencing multiple structure losses.

The Duck Lake Fire, as it is called, has burned more than 20,000 acres in sparsely populated Luce County. Rain and moisture levels in the region have been consistently low this season, leading to the wildfire.

“Rainfall will help reduce the risk of wildfires in the short-term for those areas receiving precipitation,” said Bill O’Neill, the head of the state’s Forest Resources Division, in a statement.

O’Neill stressed that the county’s firefighting resources have been stretched to the maximum.

“It’s important for the public to understand that the high risk of wildfire is expected to increase again in these areas,” he said.

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