DNR temporarily halts prescribed burns due to ongoing drought

Official maps show that most of West Michigan and the upper peninsula are in a severe drought.

DEREK FRANCIS.AND I'DM OUG REARDON.WEST MICHIGAN IS CURRENTLY IN ADROUGHT AND THE TEMPERATURESTHESE NEXT FEW DAYS WON'T HELP.IT'S EXPECTED TO BE IN THE 90S .SO, THE D-N-R HAS TEMPORARILYSTOPPED DOING PRESCRIBED BURNS .AND THEY'RE HOPING OTHERSWILL DO THE SAME...OUR LAUREN EDWARDS JOINS USLIVE AFTER HEARING FROM THED-N-R ABOUT JUST HOW BAD THEDROUGHT IS... ?LAUREN?SO JUST PAST THIS STOP SIGN ISABURJN SITE .

THE DNR BURNED IBELIEVE 190 ACRES LAST MONTH TOULTIMATELY PROTECT THE LAND .BUT THEY STOPPED BECAUSE THEYSAY RIGHT NOW ITS TOODANGEROUSPAUL ROGERS, WILDFIREPREVENTION SPECIALIST -MICHIGAN DNRActually in Western Michigan andespecially Grand Rapids toKalamazoowe are in a severe drought rightnow.6s PAUL ROGERS WITH THE D-N-RSAYS ACCORDING TO THE U.S.DROUGHTMONITOR, THE UPPER PENINSULA ISALSO EXPERIENCINGSOME DRYNESS AS WELL PAULROGERS, WILDFIRE PREVENTIONSPECIALIST - MICHIGAN DNRA lot of it had to play withthis winter.

We essentially didnot get much snowfall at all.

Alot of what we received wasactually lakeeffect.

There wasn't muchmoisture in it.8s AND THIS WEEKEND'S 90-DEGREE TEMPS AREN'T GOING TOHELP .

HE SAYS THEY TYPICALLYDON'T SEE THIS EXTREME DRYNESSUNTIL JULY AND AUGUST .

SO RAINIS DEFINITELY NEEDEND OWPAUL RGOERS, WILDFIRE PREVENTIONSPECIALIST - MICHIGAN DNRIf we can get an inch over afull 24-hour period or a couplefo inches that would really helpand give us a deep soaking, longsaturated rain.8s BUT WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLYWHEN THAT'LL COME .

UNTILTHEN THE DNR HAS DECIDED TO STOPDOING PRESCRIBED BURNS, WHICH HESAYS THEY DO TO ENHANCE THE LAND.

AND GET RID OF INVASIVESPECIES .

LIKE THEY DID HERE O NTHIS LANDIN GREENVILLE PAUL ROGERS,WILDFIREPREVENTION SPECIALIST - MICHIGANDN RThis is a burn that was doneabout a month ago.

This was, thebenefit for this wasmainly for deer and turkey, forhabitatrestoration.8s NOW ROGRSE SAYS THE DNR ISHOPINGOTHERS WILL FOLLOW SUIT AN DHOLDOFF ON DOING ANY BURNSThe biggest thing we hear, andits evenwhen we have an escapeddebris-burnthat is our, thats our leadingcause ofwildfires, people cna't believehow fast it tookoff.9s HE SAYS EOPPLE DON'TUNDERSTANDHOW POWERFUL THE WIND ISAnd quitofte en when we burn wehave a lotof equipment on hand.

We've gota lot ofengines and a lot of water thatif anythingdoes happen we can take care ofit right away.SO HE SAYS IT BEST, FOR NOW, TODOUBLE CHECK IF PERMITS ARE EVENBEING GIVEN OUT .

AND CAMPFIRESARE FINE .

JUST MAKEU SRE TO PUTIT OUT AFTER 6 P-M PAUL ROGRES,WILDFIREPREVENTION SPECIALIST - MICHIGANDNRThats when the winds die down.And its a much safer time to doit and always have a watersource available whether it be abucket or a hose just to makesure it escapes, youcan put it out.10sAGAIN HE SAYS THE BIGGEST THINGRIGHT NOW IS TO CHECK ON THHSEOPERMITS .

HE SAYS THE DNR IS NOTGIVING ANY OUT AT THIS TIME DUETOTHE DROUGHT .

AND IF YTOU HAVEANY QUESTIONS ABOUT WHEN ANDHOW TO BURN,H E SAYS TO CHEKCOUT THEIR WEBSIT ELIVE INGREENVILLE,LARENU EDWARDS, FOX 17 NEWSwx open grapidsAD LIB CROSS-TALK