MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF Natural Resources crews are battling a wildfire in a field. (Michigan Department of Natural Resources)

LANSING — An unusually busy fall fire season has produced more than double the seasonal wildfires originally predicted so far.

About 100 prescribed burns are planned on state and federal lands next year to help reduce damage from future wildfires.

According to the Department of Natural Resources, dry debris is the leading cause of wildfires this year, contributing to an estimated 58 more wildfires and 255 more acres burned in September and October than the typical fall average.

Jeff Vasher, DNR fire specialist, said the lack of moisture this summer is a factor in the high number of wildfires.

The Ottawa National Forest in the Upper Peninsula reported that the Summit Lake wildfire, started by dry wood beneath the forest floor on Oct. 18, burned about 225 acres before rain slowed its spread .

“The problem is that the drought is so bad. The fires burn so deep into the ground that you have to clean them day after day. We had a fire here in Midland County that broke out over a week ago and we’re still mopping it up now,” Vasher said.

“I’ve been here 23 years and I’ve never seen a fall fire season like this. You might have five or six lights, you might be a little busy, but nothing like that. It’s just unreal. Vasher said.

Prescribed fires are the controlled use of fire by a team of fire experts and aim to restore the health of fire-dependent ecosystems, such as Michigan’s jack pine forests and oak savannahs, according to the Forest Service. UNITED STATES.

“There are probably 100 prescribed burns on the books for next year and this year we did about 100 burns, so just under 11,000 acres,” Vasher said.

Brian Stearns, Huron-Manistee National Forests fuels specialist, said periodic controlled burns do not change how flammable the ecosystem is, but rather change the intensity of its burning.

Huron-Manistee covers nearly a million acres in the northern Lower Peninsula between Lakes Huron and Michigan.

“If there’s a wildfire, if it happens in areas where we’ve done prescribed burns, it tends to be easier for our fire crews to manage because they’re less intense.” » said Stearns. “There’s not as much material and they’re not as warm.”

Carrying out prescribed burns on land in the right place, at the right time and under the right weather conditions can benefit neighboring lands and communities.

Travis Owens, a Huron-Manistee public affairs officer based in Cadillac, said prescribed burns reduce dangerous fuels — thick, overgrown vegetation and dead, downed trees — that can lead to uncontrolled wildfires.

Prescribed fires also remove invasive species, improve habitat and promote tree growth, according to Owens.

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Capital News Service is a news service based at the Michigan State University School of Journalism.