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Fire on Heisterman Island Causes Concern
Press Release/Mike Kaufman
Tue, 16 Jun 2026 23:20:40 EDT
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Shortly after 5 P.M. on Tuesday, June 16th, Huron Central Dispatch received a call about smoke being seen out on Heisterman Island off of Fairhaven Township. Additional calls making similar claims continued to follow.
The island is State owned and uninhabited with no buildings on it. However, boaters and hunters are no stranger to the island, especially during fall hunting season.
Strong thunderstorms went through the area earlier and the current theory is that possibly a lightning strike could've started a fire there.
The Huron County Sheriff office responded with an airboat and a drone with the assistance of the Caseville Fire department in bringing the airboat to the scene. The drone pilot, Officer Lieutenant Neumann, ended up getting an opportunity between storms that followed to survey the island.
Authorities were concerned that if the fire was related to some type of an emergency situation such as an airplane crash, boating accident, or camping mishap, that it needed to be investigated. However, no signs of that was present at the scene, other than the middle part of the island burning.
Michigan Department of Natural Resources Fire personnel also responded to determine their course of action. All information gathered was shared with them and any future updates regarding this incident will be release by them rather than the Sheriff's office .
No responders were actually sent to the scene and the response was limited to only the drone flight over the island.
(The photos are of Lieutenant Neumann flying the drone, along with the actual fire burning on the island, and conservation officer, Kyle Romzek and DNR Fire, Jason Meyers standing by. The pictures were taken from the Fin and Feather public access south of Bay Port, which was the staging area.)
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