About 3:00 or so this afternoon, I am sitting at my desk - office windows are open. I hear a few emergency vehicle sirens go by out on M-72 - dont think much of it. I hear a few more sirens...ok... odd, but it happens. I hear a few more...hmmm. Then I catch a faint wiff of what at first smelled like burning leaves. Gee that is not good - I look out to the south and see smoke in the distance..big smoke....REALLY big smoke and getting bigger! Soon everyone in our office is standing there looking at this huge smoke cloud - initially, well off in the distance - then the sun is being partly obliterated by it.
Soon we got word - big fire north of 4 mile road, south of Grayling. By just before 4:00 traffic on M-72 was approaching a standstill. I got out of dodge at that point - could see the smoke miles north of Grayling.
Latest I have heard is about 1,100 acres burned, possibly 6 homes (or structures at least). Fire was at one point on the south edge of grayling proper, by the Ramada Inn on the south end of the I-75 Business Loop. I - 75 closed between Grayling and 4 mile road still. M-72 was closed for a while - may still be. 4 mile road, and Military road were closed as well (dont know current status)
So... please keep the local families affected by this in your prayers - as well as the fire fighters (my brother - in law is one of them). Actually, Sheila's parents, two sisters various other family members all live within 2 miles of the area the fire started in.
Dunno how things will be Friday night - so if you are coming up for the Arbor Day FES event - keep some time cushion in case the roads are closed and you need to detour a bit.
Pray for rain. BIG rain!
Soon we got word - big fire north of 4 mile road, south of Grayling. By just before 4:00 traffic on M-72 was approaching a standstill. I got out of dodge at that point - could see the smoke miles north of Grayling.
Latest I have heard is about 1,100 acres burned, possibly 6 homes (or structures at least). Fire was at one point on the south edge of grayling proper, by the Ramada Inn on the south end of the I-75 Business Loop. I - 75 closed between Grayling and 4 mile road still. M-72 was closed for a while - may still be. 4 mile road, and Military road were closed as well (dont know current status)
So... please keep the local families affected by this in your prayers - as well as the fire fighters (my brother - in law is one of them). Actually, Sheila's parents, two sisters various other family members all live within 2 miles of the area the fire started in.
Dunno how things will be Friday night - so if you are coming up for the Arbor Day FES event - keep some time cushion in case the roads are closed and you need to detour a bit.
Pray for rain. BIG rain!
