Closure Update: A larger closure for the Boundary Waters is in progress. An official notification will be sent out shortly. For details on closure areas, visit the Superior National Forest webpage. With continued fires and a shortage of firefighting resources, these closures allow firefighters to focus on existing fires or new starts without worrying about public safety.

East Zone Fires:  

John Elk Fire: The John Elk Fire left its three-acre footprint and grew rapidly yesterday after another day of hot, dry weather and gusty winds.  Saturday’s reconnaissance flight reports the size at 1500 acres in a narrow cigar shape from John Elk to the SE corner of Elton in the BWCA Wilderness.  Ground suppression activities are still not possible due to the difficult access and firefighter safety concerns. Fire-suppressing aircraft continue to drop water on these fires to try and limit their spread. Yesterday wilderness ranger crews and a beaver floatplane made contact with visitors on several lakes, including Little Sag Lake, Mora Lake and Crooked Lake. More wilderness ranger crews, and floatplanes will be used today to notify campers and sweep the area of visitors.

Whelp Fire: The Whelp fire, four miles NW of Sawbill Lake, also expanded in size yesterday to 50 acres.  This fire is creeping and smoldering. No fire-fighting crews have been sent in due to difficult access, limited aircraft resources, and safety concerns. Fire-suppressing aircraft continue to drop water on this fire to try and limit its spread. More wilderness ranger crews and beaver floatplanes will be used today to notify campers and sweep the area of visitors.

Clara Island Fire: This fire continues to show some heat and smoke but remains contained to the island. Clara Lake Island Fire is located 10 miles NNW of Lutsen, outside of the Wilderness. It was detected on August 12 and is the result of an illegal campfire. The sprinkler system installed this week has been very effective. This system allows for water to be continuously added to the fire while also reducing firefighter exposure to falling dead trees. Aircraft and ground crews will continue to monitor daily.

West Zone Fires: 

Steep Fire: The Steep Fire was detected on August 20 and is located within the BWCAW closure area approximately three miles south of the Canada border.  It is estimated to be two to three acres in size. Water drops were preformed yesterday.  No firefighters will be inserted at this time due to limited resources and higher priority fires within the Superior National Forest.  

Moose Lake Fire: The Moose Lake Fire was detected in the afternoon on August 18 near Britt, MN, south of Lake Leander and Lake 14. It is currently 25-acres in size and is now 100% contained.  Firefighters continue mop up operations.   

Bunggee, Fourtown Lake, and Sundial South Fires: All three fires are located within the BWCAW closure area. The Fourtown Lake Fire was first detected on July 25 approximately 12 miles N of Ely. The fire is in containment lines at 265-acres and still showing some smoke. The Bungee and Sundial fires remain the same size, three and a half acres and a quarter acre respectively, and show no fire activity. All fires will be continuously monitored by air.  

Canada Fires: Quetico Provincial Park is managing several fires burning across the international border from the BWCAW. Three of those fires have potential to spread into the US near Crooked and Iron lakes.  Fire activity has been very active in Canada this week due to dry weather and breezy winds. Fire growth has been mainly towards the north due to south winds. The Forest is conducting daily monitoring flights over the fires and coordinating with counterparts in Ontario. For more information on the fires in Ontario and for an interactive fire map visit: https://www.ontario.ca/page/forest-fires.

Air Quality: The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has issued an air quality alert effective until 3 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 23, for Lake and Cook Counties. The affected area includes Isabella, Silver Bay, Grand Marais, and the tribal nation of Grand Portage.  For more information on current air quality conditions in your area and to sign up for daily air quality forecasts visit MPCA’s Air Quality Index webpage.

Evacuations: There are no mandatory evacuations in Cook County as of noon today. Homeowners in Cook County should sign up for the emergency alert system CodeRED at https://www.co.cook.mn.us/index.php/2016-04-14-15-58-03.

Fire Restrictions: Due to continued long-term drought conditions and limited fire-fighting resources, the Superior National Forest is not allowing campfires within the Forest boundary on National Forest lands, including the BWCAW. Propane devices with an on/off switch are permitted, including lanterns, stoves, and firepits. Please see Fire Restrictions Order and our Campfire Restrictions FAQ for more information. 

The MN Department of Natural Resources has various fire restrictions throughout the state.  The burning restrictions reflect on-the-ground conditions and wildland fire response capacity as assessed on a county-by-county basis. Please see their website for additional details: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/forestry/fire/index.html

Superior National Forest Fire Information: Please call the fire information number at 218-214-7844 or visit online at: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/, the Superior NF website: www.fs.usda.gov/superior or the forest’s Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/SuperiorNF/ . For Greenwood Fire Information, please call 218-499-9441.