REPUBLIC — Today’s warm and dry weather is keeping firefighters across the central U.P. busy.

One brush fire started on the side of M–95 in Republic Township around 1:30 p.m.

The fire began on the grounds of a wooded area and the flames reached up to the power lines. Various fire departments came to assist from cities such as; Republic, Humboldt, Champion, and even the DNR.

“We just got a call there was a fire,” said Volunteer Fireman Sanford Pesola, “it started somewhere along the highway and to me it could have just been a careless cigarette. ” The exact cause of the fire is not known at this time.