“We stopped the wildfire portion at one-tenth of an acre,” said Shields. “The local fire departments did a phenomenal job.”

Assisting on the scene were local fire departments from Newton, Garfield and Portage townships, along with DNR staff from the field offices in Naubinway and Newberry.

The night prior to the fire saw scattered rain across the Upper Peninsula, but the rain was nearly nonexistent where the fire took place, Shields said, highlighting the destructive potential the wildfire had.

“With the spotty rain, it is drier (outside) than you think it would be,” said Shields. “I just want people to be cautious and make sure to check our fire conditions, which can be found on our website, posted before 10 a.m., or on signs near our offices.”

A semi trailer sits in flames, starting a small wildfire along U.S. 2 in Newton Township. (Photo courtesy of Katelyn Milano)

The cause for the vehicle fire is still unknown.

Fire conditions for the state of Michigan can be found at www.michigan.gov/dnr/firealert.