DNR plans 142-acre prescribed burn in Union Township Friday
Smoke and burn activity could be visible in Union Township Friday afternoon as the DNR treats 142 acres to cut brush and lower future fire risk.
Smoke and burn activity could be visible over Union Township Friday afternoon as Michigan DNR crews target 142 acres in Grand Traverse County to clear overgrown brush and shrubbery and give native plants more room to grow.
The prescribed burn was part of a larger effort across northern Michigan, where the DNR planned nine burns Friday totaling nearly 300 acres. In Grand Traverse County, the agency said the work was set to begin around 1 p.m.
State forestry officials use prescribed fire as a management tool to control invasive species, create wildlife habitat, reduce vegetative fuel loading and help forests grow. That makes the short-term disruption part of a longer-term fire prevention strategy, especially in areas where thick brush can build into dangerous fuel.
Residents near the burn area may notice smoke, and state air-quality guidance says open burning can irritate eyes and lungs, obscure visibility and create nuisance odors. The DNR also says burn permits and fire conditions are updated daily and can vary by location, which is one of the clearest ways to distinguish a planned burn from wildfire activity.
The DNR’s Traverse City Customer Service Center serves as the local forestry office for the region, giving Grand Traverse County residents a nearby point of contact for fire-management issues. The agency’s 2022 fire report showed the scale of the program statewide, with crews carrying out 73 carefully planned prescribed burns on nearly 6,200 acres of land.
Friday’s burn in Union Township fit that broader pattern: a managed fire, scheduled in advance, meant to reduce risk later by removing excess fuel now.
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