Dispatch: Scene clear after wildfire breaks out north of Newaygo

BROOKS TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — Firefighters have cleared the scene after a wildfire broke out north of Newaygo Saturday afternoon, dispatchers say.

Newaygo County dispatchers told News 8 that the fire started around 4 p.m. in Brooks Township, near Emerald Lake and Pickerel Lake.

The Department of Natural Resources and multiple local fire departments initially responded, according to dispatch.

Heather Giberson and her husband own the Old Dam Inn, which is located near Emerald Lake.

“We don’t hear many sirens out here, because we’re rather remote in the forest. So we’re hearing lots of sirens,” she told News 8. “And you could hear many vehicles cruising past camp and by us. And then you could start smelling smoke, which was not a campfire. And, curious, we (Giberson and some neighbors) thought we’d go check it out.”

She said the fire was right along Camp Newaygo’s wetland trail.

“(It was) my first time seeing something like this. The winds were really kicking up, and it just kept — you’d think, ‘Oh, it’s just smoke,’ but then the winds would come in and they just kicked up these walls of flames,” Giberson said.

Eventually, she decided to take a video of the scene, which she shared with News 8.

“Through the smoke, we could see a few of the firefighters, trying to old-fashioned dig and bury and tamp out the flames,” she said.

When Giberson left around 6 or 6:30 p.m., she said firefighters were still working but had made progress.

“They were really getting it under control by then, so it was not too bad by that point,” she said.

By late Saturday night, crews had cleared the scene, dispatchers said around 9:30 p.m.

Giberson told News 8 that the wetland trail is an important spot for the inn, perfect for watching birds and meteor showers.

“There was so much smoke. I hope the trail isn’t damaged,” she said. “It is the best birding area.”

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com.