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[Skittelroo]

I spent many barefoot summers not far from Newberry.  Trout Lake, MI---very isolated with no running water or electricity, but the indoor bathroom and pumps made it feel quite modern for camping.   Ahhhh...some of my favorite remembrances!   As for Paradise... Was a very strange hotel room we stayed in and we are still laughing about it.

BRD...that phone sounds an awful lot like our first party-line phone so I'm betting we are in the same "feeling' older" range

[BigRedDog]

I spent many barefoot summers not far from Newberry.  Trout Lake, MI---very isolated with no running water or electricity, but the indoor bathroom and pumps made it feel quite modern for camping.   Ahhhh...some of my favorite remembrances!   As for Paradise... Was a very strange hotel room we stayed in and we are still laughing about it.

BRD...that phone sounds an awful lot like our first party-line phone so I'm betting we are in the same "feeling' older" range

This is the first phone I remember my parents having...   and you couldn't own your own phone then so they had it a long, long time.



And this is what both sets of my grandparents had...

I remember having to stand on a chair to talk into the mouthpiece



I remember going through Trout Lake many times....  we would take the Trout Lake - Rexton "shortcut" from US2 over to M28 to get to Newberry or Grand Marais or Marquette or wherever we were heading at the time

[Skittelroo]

Aw, you're just a young 'un, BRD.   This is the first phone I remember.  My mother still has and uses a similar model your parents had, except it doesn't have 0Q for the last dial-number.   I also have the old Ma-Bell for the times we lose power and the phones don't work.   Can't beat them for lasting forever!!!

[BigRedDog]

Here's a link where all the Mlive articles on the fire are posted all in one place:

http://topics.mlive.com/tag/duck-lake-fire/index.html

[BigRedDog]

Aw, you're just a young 'un, BRD.   This is the first phone I remember (and my mother still has and uses the same model your parents had!):

My mother in law is pushing 90 and she actually has a cell phone...

fortunately she only lives a couple of blocks from the Verizon store because she has to go in there quite often for "help"...

My wife has to "straighten it out" every time we're down there...

and it's just a basic cell phone... nothing fancy...

but I give her credit for getting rid of her land line

[BigRedDog]

This is the latest info from the DNR website:

May 29, 2012

Although the Duck Lake Fire made two serious runs last night, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources today reported its estimated size at 21,694 acres. The fire did spot across the line in at least one place. The department continues to get more accurate GPS information in order to get a better grasp on the exact size of the fire. Forty-seven percent of the fire area is contained.

The south end of the fire is 14 miles north of Newberry and 7 miles west from Tahquamenon Falls State Park campgrounds. A long and narrow fire, it stretches 11 miles to the north to Lake Superior. There are currently 40 miles of fire line. Of that fire line, 6 miles is Lake Superior shoreline, 13 miles is completed line (includes County Road 500), and 21 miles is uncontained fire line. Access remains very difficult with few roads.

The latest estimate is that there are 134 properties within the perimeter of the fire, of which 99 have been inspected to this point. Of the 99 properties inspected, 39 properties have suffered losses. On the 39 properties that suffered losses, 97 structures were lost. The structure losses breakdown as follows:

34 homes/cabins
22 garages
22 sheds/outbuildings
17 campers
1 store
1 motel

Concerned parties should phone 211 (Upper Peninsula residents) and 1-800-338-1119 (all others) to register their structure location and contact information. Officials do not have contact information for all properties within the fire perimeter, so it is very important that all landowners make contact. As the structure inventory and damage assessments are completed, the involved parties will be contacted and informed of the status of their property.

No escorted site visits will be allowed for individuals who do not own property within the fire line. The highest priority will be given to the individuals who own permanent residences within the fire line. Site visits will depend upon fire conditions and operations at the time.

Luce County Emergency Management has provided landowner site visits for homeowners in the Pike Lake and Little Lake Harbor areas, giving them an opportunity to quickly visit their homes to see the status for themselves.

Between one-quarter inch and three-quarter inches of rain fell on the fire late yesterday afternoon and evening, with more rain falling on the south end of the fire. There is a chance of showers today, with rainfall amounts of up to 0.08 inches. Temperatures will be in the high 60s today, with minimum humidity of 49 percent. Winds will be west to northwest at 7 to 10 miles per hours, with gusts to 20 miles per hour.

The fire area experienced very strong winds Monday afternoon, causing a blowup on a portion of the fire that forced firefighters to retreat to their safety zones in order to allow air support to drop water on the area. As thunderstorms approached the area, the aircraft had to leave and ground crews had to temporarily take shelter from the storms. Afterward, crews were able to take advantage of the rain that arrived on the heels of the blowup to make progress in fire suppression efforts. Fire crews were able to construct additional line in Divisions D and G yesterday, and hope to link up today.

Structure protection remains a high priority and is being closely monitored from the air. The hand crew made progress Monday, mopping up along the west and south sides of Pike Lake. So far, 9 miles of the 33-mile-long perimeter has secure line built. Twenty-four miles of fire line remain to be built. At this point, the fire is 47 percent contained. Three VFD fire engines patrolled the lines and continued suppression of hot spots.

Today's incident objectives are:

To provide for public and firefighter safety
Provide for structure protection
Keep fire north of M-123
Keep fire in vicinity of County Road 500, and assess spot fires in Division D
Hold and mop up constructed dozer line in Divisions J and M
Identify hazard trees around structures and roads for the saw crews
Continue to work on securing line near the break between Divisions D and G
Continue getting GPS data on completed line in all divisions

Ongoing fire suppression efforts will see crews continue to mop up and secure the west side of Pike Lake, an area of heavy duff fuels. Structure protection is a priority in this area. Saw crews will be working on hazard trees in this area, too.

A National Guard helicopter experienced a mechanical failure on Sunday and lost its bucket in Bone Lake. Divers will work today with law enforcement to retrieve the bucket.

Crews will work to hold existing secure line, fortify established line put in yesterday, and extend fire lines north from the fire heel along both the east and west flanks. Crews are beginning to mop up 50 feet in from the Fireline. Air operations will focus efforts on the east and southwest flanks and structure protection.

An evacuation order remains in effect for the area from Pike Lake east to County Road 500 and north to Little Lake Harbor.

County Road 414 east from the intersection with County Road 410 and County Road 500 from M-123 north to Little Lake Harbor are closed. Please do not enter the area. All road closures remain in effect until further notice. No road reopening schedule has been determined due to ongoing fire issues and aircraft suppression efforts.

Tahquamenon Falls State Park's lower falls campground, upper falls viewing area and visitor center have been closed due to smoke concerns. Please do not visit the park.

A total of 232 personnel - of which 53 are overhead personnel - are involved with fire suppression efforts. People, agencies and equipment involved include:

Four DNR conservation officers and a sergeant are on duty around the clock
Volunteer fire departments: Bay Mills, Garfield Township, Columbus Township, Portage Township, Whitefish Township, Superior Township, Village of Newberry and Kinross Township
18 DNR fire engines, 8 volunteer fire department engines, 2 VFD fire department water tankers and 3 Wisconsin DNR engines
11 Michigan DNR and 2 Wisconsin DNR bulldozers
1 US Fish & Wildlife Service helicopter
2 Minnesota DNR air tankers
4 Michigan National Guard aircraft and ground support
Keweenaw Bay Indian Community hand crew

Cooperating agencies include the Michigan State Police, Luce County Sherriff's Department, Michigan State Police Emergency Management, Red Cross, Luce County Emergency Management, Michigan National Guard, Wisconsin DNR, Minnesota DNR, Chippewa County Sheriff's Department, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, American Red Cross, Salvation Army and Keweenaw Bay Indian Community.

It is essential that the public realize and respect the extreme danger this fire poses to areas east of the entire 10-mile-long east flank.

A special note of thanks: The Duck Lake Fire staff and the DNR would like to express their gratitude for the outpouring of support from Newberry, Luce County and the entire region. Numerous citizens have lined the streets of Newberry to welcome the fire crews back after their time on the front lines. On Monday evening, the Bay Mills Indian community donated a fish fry dinner with all the trimmings for the fire crews, and it was a huge hit. Most of the firefighters recalled a similar dinner during the 2007 Sleeper Lake Fire and were happy to see the Bay Mills Indian community come through again. The Duck Lake Fire Help Center has been providing snacks, clothing and toiletry items to the firefighters out of the Youth Center across from the IGA Store in Newberry.

On May 25, Governor Rick Snyder declared a state of disaster in the Luce and Schoolcraft counties. The declaration permits authorities to evacuate residents, and establishes a fireworks ban in the two affected counties and an outdoor burning ban in 49 counties:

Alcona, Alger, Alpena, Antrim, Arenac, Baraga, Bay, Benzie, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Chippewa, Clare, Crawford, Delta, Dickinson, Emmet, Gladwin, Gogebic, Grand Traverse, Houghton, Iosco, Iron, Isabella, Kalkaska, Keweenaw, Lake, Leelanau, Luce, Mackinac, Manistee, Marquette, Mason, Mecosta, Menominee, Midland, Missaukee, Montmorency, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oceana, Ogemaw, Ontonagon, Osceola, Oscoda, Otsego, Presque Isle, Roscommon, Schoolcraft and Wexford.
The DNR strongly encourages all residents and visitors in all parts of the state to avoid open burning and use of any fireworks during this extremely high fire-danger season to minimize the possibility of more wildfires. For wildfire prevention tips, and for information on what is and is not permissible under the outdoor burning ban, visit www.michigan.gov/preventwildfires.

[Skittelroo]

Here's a link where all the Mlive articles on the fire are posted all in one place:

http://topics.mlive.com/tag/duck-lake-fire/index.html

Thanks!!

[BigRedDog]

Here's a DNR video... 

hope it works...

I had trouble getting it to copy

Duck Lake Fire, Luce County, Michigan, May 2012 on Vimeo

[Skittelroo]

The video sure brings clarity to the reality of the situation.  So hard to imagine stopping something like that.  Special thoughts for all the firefighters and volunteers who are doing what they can.   May they all be safe.

[Skittelroo]

A very good article on how they have fought the fire from a firefighter's perspective, complete with aerial video:

http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2012/05/duck_lake_firefighter_michigan.html

[BigRedDog]

Sounds like they're making some progress the last couple of days...   

the Tahquamenon Falls will be open again today.  That is good news for the local economy which derives a major income from local tourism from the 90 day summer season.

Interesting that the fire at Seney is still burning.  I remember a fire in the Seney refuge that burned for a couple of months...   it got into the peat bog and  was burning underground!

http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2012/05/state_park_reopening_near_duck.html#incart_river_default

Here's an article that talks about some of the larger fires in the Newberry area over the years:

http://www.stignacenews.com/news/2007-08-09/front_page/004.html

[BigRedDog]

Sounds like they're gaining on it...

hopefully the weather will co-operate!

http://ipr.interlochen.org/ipr-news-features/episode/tahquamenon-re-opens/2012-05-30

[BigRedDog]

Another day...   the fire got bigger

but they contained more of it

I see the politicians are getting up there for some "press"...

now if we could just figure out how to fight fires using bull#### they'd probably have it out tonight

Unfortunately this nice soaking rain we're getting doesn't make it all the way up there...

Here's today's updates from the Newberry radio station:

THURSDAY MAY 31ST, 2012

5:00 P.M.
GOVERNOR RICK SNYDER TODAY TOOK A FLIGHT TOUR OF THE DUCK LAKE FIRE AREA.  FOLLOWING THE TOUR, HE MET WITH DNR OFFICIALS.  SPEAKING WITH MEDIA PERSONNEL, HE EXPRESSED HIS THANKS TO ALL THOSE WHO ARE FIGHTING THE FIRE, THE COMMUNITY AND STRESSED HIS CONCERN FOR THOSE WHO LOST PROPERTY.

3:00 P.M.
SENATOR DEBBIE STABENOW TODAY VISITED THE FIRE SITES VIA A ROAD TOUR.  SHE OFFERED HER CONCERNS FOR ALL THOSE EFFECTED BY THE DUCK LAKE FIRE. SHE ALSO INFORMED US THAT SHE HAS SPOKEN WITH FEMA AGENCIES TO SEE WHAT TYPE OF ASSISTANCE CAN BE OFFERED TO THOSE WHO SUSTAINED LOSS.  SHE ALSO OFFERED HER GRATITUDE TO ALL OF THOSE WHO ARE WORKING SO HARD TO CONTROL THIS FIRE.

10:00 A.M.
CURRENT ACREAGE IS AT 21,458 WITH 57% CONTAINMENT.  COUNTY ROAD 414 EAST FROM THE INTERSECTION WITH COUNTY ROAD 410, AND COUNTY ROAD 500 FROM M-123 NORTH TO LITTLE LAKE HARBOR ARE STILL CLOSED.  PLEASE DO NOT ENTER THE AREA.  THESE ROAD CLOSURE WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.
THE LATEST ESTIMATE FOR STRUCTURE IS 138 PROPERTIES WITHIN THE PREIMETER OF THE FIRE.  A TOTAL OF 132 STRUCTURES HAVE BEEN LOST:
**46 HOMES/CABINS
**23 GARAGES
**35 SHED/OUTBUILDINGS
**26 CAMPERS
**  1 STORE
**  1 MOTEL

http://www.radioeaglenewberry.com/index.php?page=PIKE_LAKE_AREA_WILDFIRE

[BigRedDog]

Mlive has sent a crew to the fire zone and they did a "tag along" with one crew of fire fighters yesterday...

article and photos:

http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2012/06/delta_division_a_day_with_a_du_1.html#incart_river_default

[BigRedDog]

More photos:

http://photos.mlive.com/grandrapidspress/2012/05/duck_lake_fire_still_has_hot_s_1.html

I've driven down this road many times...