LOCAL BEAT: Fire and Wreckage
The editorial policy for the local paper excludes coverage of fires and traffic accidents. Chief suspects limb downed by high winds ignited Williamsburg wildfire Submitted April 15, 2023 WILLIAMSBURG — The Whitewater Township Fire Department responded, with assistance from Elk Rapids FD, to a wildfire reported shortly before 5 p.m. on April 12 near the intersection of Elk Lake Road and Palaestrum Road. The fire burned eastward, downhill and with the prevailing wind, across about an acre of dry grass and did not ignite any trees or reach any built structures. “We think it started from a tree that fell,” said WTFD Chief Brandon Flynn. The uprooted tree fell across multiple electrical lines, likely bridging circuits and generating sparks, he said. Wind speeds up to 21 mph were recorded at Cherry Capital Airport on April 12. Emergency responders were able to get in front of the fire’s advance and stop it, using fire engines and navigating off-road with an all-terrain vehicle. Flynn sa...