POVERTY ISLAND, MI-- A wildfire on Poverty Island has grown.
The blaze started by a lightning strike in late June had consumed 26 acres on the small Lake Michigan island between Michigan’s Garden Peninsula and Wisconsin’s Door County by the end of July. The fire, which threatened a historic lighthouse, then stalled, but authorities say it has consumed another 20 acres of forest since late last week. The island is about 200 acres in size.
U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs incident commander Jeremy Bennett says over the next few days firefighters will try to burn out 70 acres around the lighthouse to eliminate vegetation that could spread flames to the structure.
A 26-foot search and rescue boat from Fayette State Park will be used to ignite the burnout, using flares launched into the island’s interior.
