The Ridge Fire in Marquette County, Michigan, expanded by approximately 30 acres in recent days due to wind, reaching nearly 500 acres in size, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. The fire remains within firefighters' established containment strategy.
The blaze, located about 10 miles northwest of Marquette, was spotted by airplane on October 9 and continues burning deep in the forest floor's duff layer—composed of fallen leaves and organic matter. It is part of the broader Rugged Terrain Complex, which also includes the 606-acre Craig Lake Fire in Baraga County and the 350-acre Black River Fire near Wakefield.
Wind also contributed to two other Upper Peninsula fires over the weekend: a 4-acre fire near Wetmore Pond in Marquette Township, called the Game 2 Fire, and an 11-acre fire in Sands Township known as the Silver Leaf Fire. Michigan DNR firefighters worked with local departments to battle those blazes.
Peter Glover, fire supervisor in the DNR's Gwinn Unit, said the steep rocky terrain that complicates firefighting also slows the fire's spread. "There are a lot of natural features that check this fire," Glover said. "What's going to stop this fire and put it out is season-ending rain and/or snow." People living near the Ridge Fire may still see and smell smoke depending on wind direction, he said.