Summit Lake Fire grows to over 300 acres

The Summit Lake Fire grows to 304 acres in the McCormick Wilderness. On Thursday the National Forest Services release its latest update on the Summit Lake Wildfire. The area received 2/5ths of an inch of rain between Wednesday and Thursday, which moderated the fire’s behavior. Cloud cover and cooler temperatures also helped to stabilize the fire’s pace. The National Forest Service has put into effect closures for the northern half of the wilderness area between forest road T50N R29W and T50N R30W, including the Yellow Dog Trailhead. Current conditions show the fire has stalled near wetlands and lakes, allowing fire crews to prioritize areas southwest near private lands. The National Forest Service anticipates more dry weather within 48 hours that could result in visible fire behavior. 45 firefighters have been assigned to the Summit Lake fire, including 20 members from a Montana hand crew, and NFS Ottawa National Forest firefighters. Two single-engine firebosses have been used during the incident to drop water loads and monitor fire conditions from the sky. No structures are threatened at this time. The Summit Lake fire was spotted last Friday in Barga County 12 miles north of Lake Michigamme.