Skilled Firefighters Contain Potentially Serious Brushfire

IRONWOOD, MI - Monday, May 18, 2009 - Ironwood Township Volunteer Firefighters were called to brush fire on N11139 Vanderhagen Road between Nyulund and North Star Road at just after 1:00 PM this afternoon. Dave Pertile was about to go fishing on Welch's Creek when he spotted the blaze and called 911. The fire was mostly under control by the time the Chronicle arrived, however, high gusting winds and dry conditions make frequent flare ups a difficult battle for the fire crews. Ironwood Public Safety was called to provide a pumper truck. While there is only a limited amount of water in a tanker, the pumper truck can provide an unlimited supply from the creek.

Thanks to Dave Pertile's quick response; efficient dispatch; and the immediate response of the highly trained Ironwood Township firefighters, what could have been a major disaster appeared to be managed by 2:00 PM. The photos above show how a dried grass; weathered tree stumps and even a plastic culvert became fuel for the fire. Firefighters on the scene believed the fire may have started in an outbuilding (shack) behind a vacant house on Vanderhagen. Further details will be reported as they become available.