Sleeper Lake Fire
North of Newberry, Michigan (Luce County)
3rd largest wildfire in Michigan
(2nd largest in the U.P)
August 2007

SCROLL DOWN TO VIEW PHOTOS and PICTURE & INFO. OF BABY OWL RESCUED, WITH THE SLEEPER LAKE FIRE, NEWBERRY!
And to read a little info. about the fire in Engadine.
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Below photo is of a fire that started Aug. 27, in Engadine.
This page is about the Sleeper Lake Fire, North of Newberry, but I wanted to let you know what was going on, two miles from me!

Photo: By Julie Freeman (c)
Above Photo is of the Engadine Fire, Aug. 27, 2007
Those are not clouds, in the air, that is smoke from the fire, 2:30 p.m.
Emergency Vehicles and Fire Trucks went out around 1:30 p.m.
The fire is located 3 miles west (NW) of Engadine, North of Mile Alley, Sec. 25, 44 N. 11 W.
As of 5 p.m. the fire has burned appx. 11 acres.
It's burning in part of a timber sale, lots of tree tops, stumps & brush.
It's burning toward a stand of cedar, cedar usually grows in moist soil, so hopefully this will slow the fire down or stop it!
Fire is hot and moving fast because of the wind gust earlier today.
It's 8:15 p.m. and the wind is calm now.
My husband just got home from work, he said
"There's quite a bit of smoke over there!"
I'll keep you updated, as news on this new fire comes in!
Update: Wed. Aug. 29, I just spoke with Cheryl Ozanich at the Naubinway DNR office, she said the Mile Alley fire burned appx. 13 acres, they may do a GPS reading for accuracy. They had a line around the fire by 11:30 p.m. the evening it started on Aug. 27.
They have a crew of appx. 17, who was out there yesterday and again today, shuttling water into it.
Cheryl said "they had active flames yesterday", she added "the fire will probably need to be monitored way into the fall".
Garfield Township Fire Department is helping with the water shuttling, there is, also, help from 2 from Indian River, 2 from Evert and 1 from Crystal Falls.
The fire is under control, but not out. A lot of mop-up is still needed. Fire is still burning under some of the down trees.
The fire is thought to be started by logging equipment.
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GOING HOME
August 18, 2007  12:30 p.m.
A week ago, (in the back ground), heavy smoke was seen over the tree tops.

Four Black Hawk helicopers, took one last flight, in formation, over the town of Newberry, before heading home.
The Black Hawks and their crew helped with the Sleeper Lake Wildfire for several days, now it's time for them to leave.
Their help has been more then, greatly appreciated!!
As they flew over town, I got tears in my eyes.
We all were waving and they waved back!
When they were out of site, I turned to get in the car and noticed a lady driving past me
with a proud smile on her face and tears in her eyes, also.
These men and women were here to get a job done, but they did more then that,
they touched the hearts of the community!
Thank you, again!
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August 10, 2007
A heart felt, Thank You to Governor Granholm for being here, in person, to insure the
Newberry community you are doing what you can, to get the Sleeper Lake Wildfire under control.
Being here in person means so much to everyone!
For those of us, who could not be at the press conference, we appreciate you being at WNBY with a live broadcast, also!
Thank you, again, Governor Granholm!

Following (3) photos, taken at WNBY in Newberry

Left Photo: left to right, Senator Mike Prusi, Sarah Price, Travis Freeman, Bill Curtis, Gov. Jennifer Granholm & Representative Steve Lindberg. 
Right Photo: Bill Curtis (radio station owner), Gov. Granholm, & Travis Freeman (radio station manager).
Below Photo: Front Yard of WNBY radio, with Thank You signs for the firefighters!

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Below: Aerial Photos taken by Sarah of WNBY Radio in Newberry (C)
Photos are of the South Side of Fire, Chesbrough Lake Area
and of the burnback area along M-123
August 5, 2007

Click link below for more PHOTOS on Oldies 93 website!
http://www.oldies93fm.com/fire.html
Click your return button, to come back to mymidwestweb.

Photos, below, taken by: Julie Freeman (c)
Aug. 8, 2007
 
Red Cross & Salvation Army Volunteers - Four Mile Corner Site - Thank You Posters Placed on the Mobile DNR Unit

(Left) Steve, Bob & Joe - L.P Corp. employees, w/help from volunteers, sat up a canvas tent, loaned by Louisiana Pacific Corporation, Newberry, to Red Cross during the Sleeper Lake Wildfire - 4 mi. corner site - Above (Right) Tent being used w/in mins. of setting it up!

Officer's Car at CR 407 & M-123 - 4-mi. corner - DNR going over news on today's fire fighting efforts

Upper & Lower Photos -Inside DNR Field Office, on M-123, located right across the road from WNBY Radio Station.
This is where workers are busy doing important, behind the scenes work, to keep everything in order and documented.

Inside the briefing area at the DNR Field Office on M-123 - Boards hold news & information

Chinook Helicopter, in air over the town of Newberry, heading North to fire area.

(Upper Left) Donated Homemade Blueberry Bunt Cake, was greatly appreciated by all!  
(Upper Right) Ann Wilson, DNR Communication Rep.
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Following Photos By: Julie Freeman (c)
Sat., Aug. 11, 2007 - Luce Co. Airport & Fair Grounds

(Above) Public welcomed to view Black Hawk & Chinook

(Left) 11 yr. old, Tyler & Morgan, inside a Black Hawk (Right) Chinook coming into the airport, with it's 2000 gal. bucket below.

(Left) Tyler, Morgan & little Mallory, beside a Bambi bucket. Little Mallory seems to be giving a "thumbs up" as she looks on with amazement!


(Left) Mrs. Watkins - property owner in the evacuation area, appreciates the efforts from the National Guard!
(Right) Sergeant Hill - National Guard, Tyler - Engadine, & Michael Mabie CW2 - US Army National Guard Next to a Black Hawk




(Left) Lisa Underwood, Ada Takacs, DNR Public Information Officers with Tyler of Engadine.
(Right) Tyler & Ada
Ada asked Tyler if he would like to be a firefighter, some day, he said he wanted to be a pro-fishermen, Ada explained that the DNR has a need for pro-fishermen, with the DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife. Tyler became very interested!
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Northern Saw-whet owl rescued!

Photo property of Leslie Homan

A juvenile Northern Saw-whet owl rescued Tuesday, Aug. 21, from the Sleeper Lakes Wildfire in Luce County has been transported to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator in Gladstone for further care and treatment. The owl was found a few days ago near the fire line by a hand crew from Wisconsin working on containing the fire. The crew observed the owl for a few days before determining it had been seriously injured and should be brought in to the Department of Natural Resources Newberry Field Office for care. The owl apprears to have sustained injuries to its feet, including burns and broken toes. The owl was examined at the field office by DNR Wildlife Biologist Kristie Sitar, who determined the extent of the injuries. The DNR contacted wildlife rehabilitator Randy Bruntjenz, a former DNR fire officer to provide further care and treatment for the owl. Becuase owls need strong and healthy feet to be able to hunt and survive, the bird will not be returned to the wild and will be used for educational purposes. The owl is about fledging age and his prognosis for recovery is good. Since being brought in from the fire, the owl has been flapping his wings, preening, looking around and chirping.
Northern Saw-whet owls are very small and short-bodied with a relatively short tail. They are approximately 6.5 to 8.5 inches in length, weigh 2.5 to 4 ounces and have a wing span of 18 to 22 inches. Because they are so small, they are rarely abserved, which makes this survivor of the fire all the more important from an educatinal perspective. Northern Saw-whet owls are nocturnal and typically prey on small mammals, with deer mice comprising a majority of their diet. Other prey includes shrews, voles, squirrels, moles and bats.
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The fire was about 6 miles North of Newberry & appx. 10 miles from the Tahquamenon Falls State Park. M-123 remained closed Sun., Aug. 5.
A burnout effort initiated on Friday along highway M-123 paid helped in holding the fire along that line, as it spread south eastward, however, little progress could be made, because much of it goes through marsh & bog country, found in that area. The fire quickly spread outside its projected boundaries to the north and especially south.
The DNR said the fire probably started by lighting strikes in the Sleeper Lake area, Thursday, Aug. 2, 2007.

Red Cross has set up an Evacuees Shelter at theTahquamenon Area School, also Animal Control Officers have set up shelters for pets, including horses.

Please keep an eye on the DNR website, also.
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/

I went to this page & scroll the map around
to look at different roads & lakes, in that area.
Click Below:
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=muskallonge+lake&near=Newberry,+MI&ll=46.677839,-85.634952&iwstate1=dir:to&iwloc=A&f=d&daddr=30042+County+Road+407,+Newberry,+MI+49868

Sleeper Lake Wildfire
Fire Acreage Report
Most of my information came from people covering this fire.
This is to the best of my knowledge.

Consumed over 13,000 acres as of Aug. 5, 2007
Consumed 14,300 acres as of 1:00 p.m. Aug. 6, 2007
Consumed 15,428 acres as of appx. 10 a.m. Aug. 7, 2007
Consumed appx. 16,000 acres as of 3:00 p.m. Aug. 7, 2007
Consumed appx. 17,000 acres appx. 4:00 p.m. Aug. 7, 2007
Consumed 19,269 acres 8:45 a.m. Aug. 8, 2007
Consumed 19,628 as of 11:00 a.m. Aug. 8, 2007
Updated 9:00 p.m. Aug. 8, 2007, a GPS reading, from air, showed fire area
wasn't as large as originally thought.  
The outline reading, from a chopper's view, today, gave an
accurated reading of 18,129 acres consumed.
18,158 acres. 10% contained. Aug. 9, 2007
18,158 acres, 25% contained. Aug. 10, 2007
18,574 acres, 50% contained. Aug. 11, 2007
Update: 18,387, Aug. 12, 2007
Size: 18,483. 50% contained. Aug. 13. Mid-afternoon report
Size: 18,574. 50% contained. Aug. 13, 10 p.m.
Size: 18,680. 50% contained. Aug. 14
Size of fire perimeter: 18,680 morning report. Aug. 15
AUG. 16 morning report: 55% contained
62% contained, Aug. 16, six p.m. update
18,020 acres, 65% Contained 5 p.m. Aug. 17 update
67% contained, Aug. 18, evening update
Still at 67% containment, Aug. 19
18,020 acres, 67% contained, appx. 28 sq.miles, Aug. 20
18,256 acres, 67% contained, appx. 28 sq.miles, Aug. 21
80% containment, Aug. 22
18,185 acres and 80% contained Aug. 24

CONTAINMENT
Means the fire is encircled by a fireline, but not under control.
If you notice the numbers higher or lower in updates, some may be estimated readings,
once this fire is over, I'm sure a specialist will come in to do an exact reading.

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