Officials: UP wildfire now 57 percent contained
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources says cooler temperatures have allowed crews to "make significant progress" in their battle against a wildfire that has consumed 21,450 acres in the Upper Peninsula.
The DNR announced Thursday the nearly 34-square-mile fire in Luce County's Duck Lake area was 57 percent contained. Officials say the number of buildings destroyed by the fire has risen to 132 from 115 a day earlier.
Also Thursday, Gov. Rick Snyder and U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow each surveyed areas damaged by fire. Mlive.com reported that Snyder praised the efforts of firefighters but acknowledged some residents' concerns about the need for earlier notification.
Stabenow says she's pushing for federal aid.
A separate wildfire in the Seney National Wildlife Refuge in Schoolcraft County burned more than 5 square miles.
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