Gregory M. Lusk will receive a State History Award in the category of Books: Private Printing for “The Great Seney Fire: A History of the Walsh Ditch Fire of 1976,” published by the author. In the book, Lusk chronicles the events that led to the most destructive and costly fire in Michigan since 1908. Fueled by a record-setting drought, unclear policies, and initial inaction, what started as a small lightning-strike fire in the Seney National Wildlife Refuge quickly grew out of control, burning more than 72,000 acres in late July. While 1,200 firefighters worked to contain the blaze, only heavy winter snowfall would finally extinguish the flames.
