Michigan Fires

Daily Wildfire Report for Michigan - May 20, 2026

Overview

Michigan is currently facing an elevated period of wildfire risk. This heightened danger is driven by recent spells of dry weather, low relative humidity, and gusty winds across the state. A significant factor contributing to the current fire potential is the abundance of dead hardwood debris and downed branches left behind by last year's ice storms. As this debris has dried out, it has created highly flammable kindling across state-managed lands and forests, pushing the daily fire danger rating to high or very high in many northern regions.

Current Situation

Fire Activity: Over the last 72 hours, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and local agencies have been actively responding to and monitoring fire conditions. With the recent dry-out of storm debris and vegetation, there has been a steady amount of brush and debris fires. Firefighters are working to secure perimeters on recent fires while strategically placing units for rapid initial attack on any new starts.

Key Fires:

• Tomahawk Lake Fire: Located in Presque Isle County near the southeast end of the Tomahawk Creek Flooding, this fire has burned approximately 190 acres and is currently 100% contained. The fire was fueled by state-managed land containing jack pine stands, a blueberry bog, and dried hardwood debris from last year's ice storm. Crews continue to monitor the area to ensure no hotspots reignite.
• Mapes Fire: Located near Mio, this fire has burned approximately 124 acres through timber and brush and is currently contained.
• Jack Pine Fire: Located near Wausaukee, this fire has burned approximately 32 acres.

Prescribed Burns and Land Management: Land management agencies have been actively planning fuel reduction treatments. The Land Conservancy of West Michigan is organizing ecological prescribed burns at several nature preserves, including the Bradford Dickinson White Nature Preserve and Brower Lake Nature Preserve. Additionally, the U.S. Forest Service had planned over 100 prescribed burns covering more than 11,000 acres across the Huron-Manistee, Hiawatha, and Ottawa National Forests. However, recent federal policy shifts have introduced a presumption of a full suppression strategy on federal lands, which may impact the scheduling and execution of these planned burns moving forward.

Weather and Wind Warnings

Current Weather: After a weekend of critical fire weather, a slight shift in the weather pattern is bringing cooler temperatures and scattered light rain to parts of the state today, temporarily lowering the fire risk in areas like the Upper Peninsula.
Forecasted Weather: Over the past 72 hours, the National Weather Service issued Red Flag Warnings across dozens of counties in the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Michigan. These warnings were triggered by critical fire weather conditions, including high temperatures in the 70s and 80s, northwest wind gusts up to 30 mph, and relative humidity dropping to the 15-25% range. While recent scattered showers provide brief relief, high fire danger is expected to return as conditions dry out heading into the weekend.

Recommendations

Public Awareness: The Michigan DNR advises all residents and visitors recreating outdoors—including those hunting for morels or using trails—to exercise extreme caution. Because 9 out of 10 wildfires are human-caused, the public is urged to never leave campfires unattended and to ensure they have tools and water available to extinguish flames. Residents must check current burn permit information at Michigan.gov/BurnPermit before burning any yard debris.
Resource Allocation: During periods of very high to extreme fire danger, firefighting units are strategically prepositioned in key locations around the state to ensure a rapid and effective response to any new wildfire ignitions. Agencies continue to coordinate closely to manage the elevated risk.

Resources

For up-to-date emergency information, residents can visit:
Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Fire Management: www.michigan.gov/dnr
National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC): www.nifc.gov/fire-information/nfn

Stay informed and prepared by monitoring these resources regularly.