Groveland Twp.’After fighting fires for more than 11 years, Groveland Township Battalion Chief Pat Stampen says the April 27 fire in the Holly Recreational Area was one of the worst he’d seen.
‘When we arrived at the fire it was moving pretty fast,? said Stampen. ‘There’s no way you could out run it and within five minutes of arriving the one acre fire had turned to 10 acres burning.?
Stampen was one of about 40 firefighters who battled, heat, rough terrain, and a quarter-mile hike with a 45 pound five-gallon pack of water to fight the Sunday night blaze. The fire consumed a wilderness area about one-half mile from McGinnis and Wildwood roads in the 7,800 acre recreational area. Firefighters from Groveland and Brandon townships along with the North Oakland County Fire Authority worked several hours before the fire was under control.
Although no injuries were reported, firefighters efforts were hampered by knee-deep muck in some places, traversing a 70 foot ravine and a lack of sufficient water to contend with the fire.
‘It’s like fighting the fire with a big squirt gun,? added Stampen, referring to the water back packs used to extinguish the fire. ‘We just couldn’t put enough water on the flames and the area was so remote that we could never get a truck back there.?
While the cause of the fire is still uncertain, fire officials say that a combination of dry weather and wind conditions, coupled with either a lit cigarette or smoldering campfire started the blaze.
The estimated cost in fighting the fire is about $2,000 said Stampen.