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Wednesday, February 03, 2010
Harsen's Island Fire Update - From PHTH
From the PHTH this morning....great reporting Stephen, thanks for following up!
Police seek leads in Harsens Island fire
Port Huron Times Herald
By STEPHEN TAIT
2/3/2010 6:43am
HARSENS ISLAND -- All that remains of 80 to 100 acres of wetland weeds here is charred black stalks -- and a looming question.
A fire burned a huge swath of wetlands Monday, a blaze that Fire Chief Daryl DuPage said was set deliberately.
The fire was ignited during a controlled burn by state's Department of Natural Resources and Environment. DuPage said wind direction and other factors made it clear the second blaze was not related to the controlled burn.
"It was definitely set," DuPage said. "Now, who did it, we don't know yet."
DuPage said Clay Township police will continue the investigation, but "we have no leads right now."
The fire started about 5:30 p.m. off M-154 at Green Drive and La Croix Road. DuPage said firefighters battled the blaze for about three hours.
At the site of the fire, two utility poles and a utility box were damaged. A hunting blind also was destroyed -- the walls burned away with only a chair left in an otherwise empty landscape.
DuPage said damaged wires accounted for the only property damage. There were no injuries.
Fire departments from New Baltimore, Algonac, Marine City, St. Clair and Lenox and Ira townships assisted in putting out the blaze.
DuPage said the DNR uses the controlled burns to kill phragmites, an invasive weed species that displaces native plant life.
The phragmites in the area of the burn are about 12 feet tall. The fire destroyed huge portions of the weed, but small islands of the plant poked up from the scorched wetlands floor in various areas.
DuPage said the fire burned quickly.
"When you get those phragmites going, they create their own wind because they burn so hot," he said.
Mitchell Weaver, 15, lives on Green Road on Harsens Island across the street from where the fire burned out of control.
"I thought it was shocking how much it actually burned," he said. "It burned like four times as much as it normally does."
But Mitchell said he wasn't scared about the fire because "they usually burn the marsh anyway."
"They were pretty big size," he added.
Police seek leads in Harsens Island fire
Port Huron Times Herald
By STEPHEN TAIT
2/3/2010 6:43am
HARSENS ISLAND -- All that remains of 80 to 100 acres of wetland weeds here is charred black stalks -- and a looming question.
A fire burned a huge swath of wetlands Monday, a blaze that Fire Chief Daryl DuPage said was set deliberately.
The fire was ignited during a controlled burn by state's Department of Natural Resources and Environment. DuPage said wind direction and other factors made it clear the second blaze was not related to the controlled burn.
"It was definitely set," DuPage said. "Now, who did it, we don't know yet."
DuPage said Clay Township police will continue the investigation, but "we have no leads right now."
The fire started about 5:30 p.m. off M-154 at Green Drive and La Croix Road. DuPage said firefighters battled the blaze for about three hours.
At the site of the fire, two utility poles and a utility box were damaged. A hunting blind also was destroyed -- the walls burned away with only a chair left in an otherwise empty landscape.
DuPage said damaged wires accounted for the only property damage. There were no injuries.
Fire departments from New Baltimore, Algonac, Marine City, St. Clair and Lenox and Ira townships assisted in putting out the blaze.
DuPage said the DNR uses the controlled burns to kill phragmites, an invasive weed species that displaces native plant life.
The phragmites in the area of the burn are about 12 feet tall. The fire destroyed huge portions of the weed, but small islands of the plant poked up from the scorched wetlands floor in various areas.
DuPage said the fire burned quickly.
"When you get those phragmites going, they create their own wind because they burn so hot," he said.
Mitchell Weaver, 15, lives on Green Road on Harsens Island across the street from where the fire burned out of control.
"I thought it was shocking how much it actually burned," he said. "It burned like four times as much as it normally does."
But Mitchell said he wasn't scared about the fire because "they usually burn the marsh anyway."
"They were pretty big size," he added.
THANK GOD FOR OUR LOCAL AND SURROUNDING FIRE DEPARTMENTS FOR STOPPING THIS FIRE THAT COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC IN LOSS OF LIFE AND PROPERTY!
Labels: Clay Township, DNR, Harsens Island, Harsens Island Fire, Harsens Island Fire Dept., M-154, Michigan, phragmites, St. Clair County
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