Fire danger continues to increase

With almost no rain this spring and grass fires popping up last weekend, fire danger in the western Upper Peninsula continues to rise.

There was Saturday rainfall in the eastern part of the U.P., but the Ironwood area isn’t expected to get any rainfall until Thursday or Friday.

Monday afternoon turned dark across the Gogebic Range, but precipitation didn’t materialize.

There’s some relief in the forecast, with the possibility of thunderstorms in Ironwood from Thursday through Saturday, when the high temperatures are expected to be in the mid-70s. Nearing the end of May, Ironwood has not had a major thunderstorm this spring.

Precipitation for May in Ironwood stands at just .44 inch, compared with the long-term (117-year) average of 2.2 inches through May 22. In 2013, a total of 6.76 inches of rain had fallen for the month through May 22, the record high.

April produced 2.33 inches of precipitation in Ironwood from 29.7 inches of snow. Normal precipitation in Ironwood for April is 2.64 inches.

As of Sunday, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources had responded to 30 wildfires in the U.P. Several acres burned over the weekend in the South Black River Road, Erwin Township area of Gogebic County.

The DNR notes there are burn restrictions in areas such as Ironwood and burn barrel fires can quickly get out of hand.

—Ralph Ansami