Powell Township Fire Department

07/16/2026

Where is the smoke coming from? The answer is mostly from Canada, and some from Minnesota. Lightning from severe storms over the last weekend sparked several wildfires just north of Thunder Bay. These fires are mainly located in remote areas and are not accessible for normal fire trucks or firefighters. This is the case with many wildfires we see in Canada especially. They also span hundreds of miles. This isn't some small compact fire.

These fires are fairly close range for us here in Michigan, and typical summertime jet stream patterns steer our upper level winds from northwest to southeast. This means Michigan is literally in a perfect - but unfortunate spot for the downstream smoke of these fires.

Many people are asking when this ends, and truthfully, we don't know. We may see relief this weekend, but given we remain in that northwest flow pattern, smoke and poor air quality may continue for weeks - assuming this fire keeps burning.

06/03/2026

"Very High" to "Extreme" fire danger for the foreseeable future with high potential for the rapid spread of fire.

Always check https://www.dnr.state.mi.us/burnpermits/ before burning.

For more information on fire conditions/alerts you can visit: https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/firealert

03/22/2026

03/15/2026

03/14/2026

Make sure you’ve got enough food, water, and fuel - this could be a doozy!

EMS and Fire responses may be delayed due to road conditions but rest assured we have contingencies in place and have made sure our alternative means of transportation are prepped and ready to respond.

Stay safe everyone! Don’t forget to be conscious of your generator’s exhaust location and make sure your CO detectors are in good working order.

Potentially historic, record-breaking snowfall between 1 to 3 feet, highest amounts likely central and east, beginning tonight. Strong winds and heavy snowfall rates will result in blizzard conditions at times. Widespread impacts: dangerous to impossible travel, power outages, prolonged recovery time.

03/09/2026

Powell Township EMS recently received a Sensory Emergency Kit from the non-profit organization Bit of Grace. It is an excellent addition that will help us better serve everyone in our community!

"Our vision is to ensure that everyone is able to communicate their needs in a time of crisis. By providing public safety agencies with proven tools to help de-escalate stressful situations and providing alternative methods of communication, we are bridging the gap to bring our community together."

"We have selected each item in the kits in collaboration with various therapists and individual input from those with disabilities. The main goal is to not only help the adult or child with sensory regulation but also to provide ample sources for communication to allow self-advocacy in getting the person’s needs met."

To learn more, you can visit www.bitofgrace.org

02/15/2026

Don’t forget - Pancake Breakfast at the township hall from 8-12pm.

Adults - $10
Kids - $5
Age 5 and under eat free!!!!

12/29/2025

It was a long snowy night! No updates on power restoration for those affected - we will update if we hear anything. Conditions are terrible and side roads are heavily drifted so travel if only absolutely necessary.

If you’re running generators make sure your exhaust is positioned so it’s not getting blown back into your residence.

11/10/2025

"Practice like you play"

Translation: Pick the nastiest November day for extrication training!

Firefighter trainees Caden Reed and Levi Ellis joined us today to gain some hands on experience prior to the start of the fire academy in January. They, along with the other incoming firefighters, will be great assets to our Township!

Big thanks to Chad Demay for providing the vehicles!

10/07/2025

It takes a village:

Yesterday our EMS responded to an injured hiker in the McCormick Wilderness. Knowing we had a lengthy extrication in a remote area we immediately called for additional resources. Thanks to the help of our partners at the Marquette County Sheriff’s Office (Special Operations/SAR) and Michigan DNR we were able to safely get the patient out of the woods without any injuries to rescuers.