A map of U.S. wildfires from InciWeb.wildfire.gov depicting the reach of the fire in the Summit Lake area. The red area displays the 225 acres of land that is burning as of Tuesday. (Map courtesy of inciweb.wildfire.gov)

BARAGA — The wildfire around Summit Lake in Baraga County has expanded its reach from five acres when it was first observed on Friday, Oct. 18, to 165 acres on Oct. 21, and then to 225 acres on Oct. 22. The perimeter of the fire is estimated to encompass an area of approximately 266 acres.

Rainy and cool weather has held the fire at 225 acres for over a day and the fire is still being monitored. The fire is burning in a very remote area of the county and butts against nearby Trout Lake and Evergreen Lake. Fire crews have assessed the spread of the wildfire and have taken measures to try and minimize its expansion.

As of Thursday afternoon, the northern half of the McCormick Wilderness, including the Yellow Dog Trailhead is closed. Updates on any closures or the wildfire in general can be seen via inciweb.wildfire.gov.

Airplanes known as air tankers have been flown over the Summit Lake area to drop water as long as the weather is favorable for the aircraft. The concentration of the water drops remains on the western edge of the blazes but can change with continuing assessments and changes in the fire’s possible expansions. It has been advised for civilians to not enter the burning areas of the forest, but as of now there are no structures under threat of being caught in the fire’s path.

Acting Public Affairs Officer Shanelle Saunders said that the more active areas of the fire are burning at a low-intensity with the fire sustaining itself with dry and dead leaves. She explained that residents and tourists should be very wary during dry autumn days.

“Please do not fly drones and be aware of its temporary ban,” Saunders said. “Be careful with fire, be responsible and abide by the Michigan DNR burn policies.”