MARQUETTE COUNTY, MI— Marquette County’s Ridge Fire has grown by about 30 acres on its west side in recent days due to winds pushing the blaze.
That’s brought the overall fire to almost 500 acres. The Department of Natural Resources says despite that, it remains well within firefighters' confinement strategy.
Winds also contributed to two other U.P. fires over the weekend: a four-acre fire in Marquette Township near Wetmore Pond, which firefighters refer to as the Game 2 Fire, and an 11-acre fire in Sands Township known as the Silver Leaf Fire. DNR firefighters worked with local fire departments to battle those fires.
The Ridge Fire is still burning deep in the duff layer of the forest floor, composed of fallen leaves and organic matter. It’s about 10 miles northwest of Marquette, between County Road 510 and North Basin Drive. It was spotted by airplane October 9th and is part of the Rugged Terrain Complex, which also includes the 606-acre Craig Lake Fire in Baraga County and the 350-acre Black River Fire near Wakefield.
