Michigan

Despite recent rains, experts recommend caution with Fourth of July campfires, fireworks

Published

2 days ago

July 2, 2024

Despite recent rains, experts recommend caution with Fourth of July campfires, fireworks

Michigan is in good shape for Fourth of July fireworks and campfires thanks to recent rains throughout the state, but experts still recommended caution as the holiday approaches.

Only a portion of central Michigan is considered “abnormally dry” on the national drought monitor’s latest condition report. Above-average rainfall through the first half of the year staved off the kinds of dry conditions that could make campfires and fireworks especially dangerous.

It won’t last forever. Michigan’s typical dry season starts mid-July and picks up intensity in mid-August. This year likely will follow that pattern, said Paul Rogers, Michigan Department of Natural Resources fire prevention specialist.

“Conditions are actually far better than they were last year,” Rogers said, referring to the dry early summer in which Gov. Gretchen Whitmer warned Michigan residents not to light campfires. “We’re starting to see some typical seasonal drought, but a lot of areas around the state have gotten a fair amount of rain so conditions are fairly good.”

Around the Fourth of July holiday, careful fireworks and campfire use is top of mind for Michigan fire fighters even with the relatively good conditions.

Despite the relatively good statewide conditions, long grass or bushes could still be unexpectedly dry, Redford Township Fire Department Chief Scott Demhoff said. And they burn fast.

“People don’t realize it’s actually on fire until it’s too late,” he said.

Demhoff recommended people water their lawns before lighting campfires.

The biggest issue with campfires in Redford Township is smoke, Demhoff said. Township residents are supposed to burn seasoned wood, nothing recently cut, to keep smoke levels down and avoid filling a neighbor’s yard or house with smoke.

Humid weather also exacerbates the problem, since smoke hangs low to the ground and doesn’t dissipate, Demhoff said.

Fire safety also is on people’s minds in northern Michigan during the Fourth of July weekend, when the region experiences heavy vacation traffic. A 97-foot-tall Smokey Bear balloon will be parade marshal for the DTE Energy Foundation Cherry Royale Parade at the National Cherry Festival in Traverse City on Saturday, marking the character’s 80th birthday.

“Smokey is a fire prevention icon,” Rogers said. “The balloon brings attention to Smokey’s very important cause.”

The cause? Forest fire prevention. That’s especially important to remember when lighting Fourth of July celebratory fireworks, Rogers said.

“We always ask people not to launch fireworks off into the woods because they can sit there and smolder for long amounts of time,” he said.

When it comes to campfires, Rogers said people should check that they are allowed before gathering kindling. The DNR determines when burn permits are needed in the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula. Municipalities or local fire departments make those decisions in the southern Lower Peninsula.

People should always have water and a shovel nearby before lighting campfires, Roger said, and never throw spent fireworks into a fire.

“You don’t know what’s left in them,” he said. “Put them into a bucket of water and let them soak down.”

The Fourth of July and weekend weather forecast is pretty typical for July, said Alex Manion, a National Weather Service meteorologist stationed in White Lake.

Temperatures will be in the mid-80s on the Fourth of July, with temperatures in Detroit reaching a few degrees warmer, Manion said. Winds should be light during the day. There could be showers or storms in the afternoon and evening, but only with a likelihood of about 25%, he said.

Meteorologists expect showers and storms on Friday afternoon, Manion said. The rest of the weekend likely will be dry, with temperatures around 80 degrees on Saturday and low to mid-80s on Sunday.

ckthompson@detroitnews.com

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Michigan

Michigan State Police dog helps find senior trapped in ravine

Published

1 hour ago

July 4, 2024

Press Room

Michigan State Police dog helps find senior trapped in ravine

A Michigan State Police dog helped find an 81-year-old woman trapped in the bottom of a ravine in Ogemaw County, the agency reported.

It’s unclear when the Richland Township resident was found, according to a July 3 press release issued by the Michigan State Police’s Third District. No other information was available Thursday.

Troopers were dispatched to the elderly woman’s residence after a relative reported last seeing her around 10 p.m. the night before. Troopers found the missing person’s coat, purse and cell phone in her garage. That prompted the troopers to bring in Loki, a member of the state police’s canine team.

“Upon arrival, Loki began tracking through the woods behind the residence and located a pair of gloves and a walking cane leading down into a steep ravine,” according to the state police statement. “A short distance later, Loki located the elderly woman at the base of the ravine unable to move. “

The state troopers were assisted by Ogemaw County EMS and Richland Twp Fire Rescue with carrying the woman of the woods “as a heavy rainstorm rolled in,” according to state police.

“After speaking with the woman, it was determined she had been lost in the woods for over 20 hours before being located,” according to the state police.

laguilar@detroitnews.com

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Michigan

REPORT: How Realistic is it to Expect a Bowl Game for Michigan State?

Published

9 hours ago

July 4, 2024

Press Room

REPORT: How Realistic is it to Expect a Bowl Game for Michigan State?

Michigan State football enters the upcoming season with many changes in place. Coach Jonathan Smith will begin his first season at the helm, which is expected to be difficult for Michigan State. It has already been an up-and-down offseason for Coach Smith, which may impact the early part of Michigan State’s season.

Coach Smith and his coaching staff have faced an uphill battle since arriving in East Lansing, causing many to believe Michigan State will not see much success this season. While Coach Smith and Michigan State eventually had a successful offseason, their roster and overall situation were among the worst situations in the Big Ten upon Coach Smith’s arrival.

Although Michigan State has one of the most difficult schedules in the conference and in the country, it also has enough winnable games to make it to a bowl game. Michigan State undoubtedly has arguably the most difficult four-game stretch of any team in the country, but it is still possible they can string together six wins.

They play Prarie View A&M, Florida Atlantic, Rutgers, and Indiana at home and would only need to find two more wins to make it to a bowl game. That is not unrealistic for Michigan State to do in their first season under Coach Smith, considering the amount of talent Michigan State brought in via the transfer portal and Coach Smith and his coaching staff’s ability to develop players.

Still, 247Sports’ Brad Crawford is one of many who believe Michigan State will not make it to a bowl game this season. Crawford recently released his bowl projections for the upcoming season, and it appears he does not have Michigan State projected to make it to a bowl game. The lowest-rated Big Ten team usually goes to the Detroit Bowl, formerly the Quick Lane Bowl. However, Crawford projected Indiana to make it to the Detroit Bowl instead of Coach Smith and Michigan State.

If Crawford and his projections are correct, it would be the third consecutive season Michigan State has failed to make it to a bowl game. Michigan State’s last bowl appearance was a win over Pitt in the Peach Bowl in 2021. Michigan State hopes to prove Crawford and many others wrong this season.

Don’t forget to follow the official Spartan Nation Page on Facebook Spartan Nation WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and be a part of our vibrant community group Go Green Go White as well WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.

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Michigan

Michigan state parks offering fireworks-free camping

Published

16 hours ago

July 4, 2024

Press Room

Michigan state parks offering fireworks-free camping

LANSING, Mich. (WILX) -Some state parks offer fireworks-free camping options for those needing a quieter Independence Day.

Sleepy Hollow State Park is just one of many state parks that has been named a safe haven for veterans over the Fourth of July celebration weekend, as they will not allow fireworks in the park.

“Having a fireworks-free Fourth of July celebration, especially at our DNR parks, is really important to give veterans and those with loud noise and sudden sound-triggering PTSD space to celebrate with their family in a safe, quiet environment,” said Christyn Herman with the Michigan Veteran Affairs Agency.

There are a little over 4,000 veterans in Clinton County and another 11,000 in Ingham County. Sleepy Hollow State Park is just one of eleven different state parks that will be fireworks-free zones.

“They can sound like explosions, fireworks can sound like gunfire, they can sound like many things, but it’s helpful to have these quiet spaces so they’re in a controlled area that can help them not be triggered,” Herman said.

Even when removed from a stressful situation like war, similar sounds like fireworks can trigger intense feelings such as fear, stress, anger, or sadness.

“Fourth of July used to be my favorite holiday, but it’s basically been taken over by a trauma response that I haven’t gotten control over yet,” Afghanistan veteran Hunter Garcia said.

If you or someone you know is a military veteran and is suffering from PTSD, visit the Fireworks Free Fourth webpage.

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