Grass Fire engulfs nearly 20 acres of land

MANISTIQUE — A small fire quickly turned into a big problem Wednesday afternoon in Manistique.

Just after 12:30 p.m., Manistique Public Safety and Volunteer Firefighters were dispatched to 1515N West Kendall Road in Manistique Township. When emergency personnel arrived on scene, they found a very large grass fire in progress.

Firefighters fought the blaze for two hours. Several other agencies assisted at the scene, including the Michigan DNR Fire Division, Hiawatha Volunteer Fire Department, Germfask Fire Department, and the Schoolcraft County Sheriff’s Department. Local citizens of the Kendall Road area also assisted firefighters in their fire suppression efforts.

A total of 19.8 acres were lost in the fire. The Manistique Department of Public Safety says that 12 total structures were endangered by the fire, but thanks to the quick action of fire personnel, all of the structures went unharmed.

An investigation by the Michigan Natural Resources Law Enforcement determined that the fire was started from a burn barrel. The owner of the home where the fire started, Penny Carlson, was cited for Allowing A Fire to Escape. Carlson will have to appear in the 93rd District Court for the citation and she will be required to pay the Michigan DNR Fire and Manistique Public Safety Department for their efforts in stopping the fire.