From the Superior National Forest - August 23, 2021 11am

A PUBLIC MEETING will be held tonight at 6:00 p.m. for the Greenwood Fire with presentations from the Forest Service, Sheriff, and the Incident Command Team. The Forest Service will also address other wildfires and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness closure.  The meeting will be held at the Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center and will be broadcast live on the Superior National Forest Facebook page. 

Yesterday and last night: Fire activity increased during the afternoon due to warmer temperatures, lower humidity, and gusty winds.  The most activity took place on the northwest finger and west flank of the fire.  Air resources, heavy equipment, and ground crews again focused on human safety, structure protection and long-term fire tactics.  The fire’s size remained at 8862 acres due to firefighting efforts and improved mapping of the fire footprint.  Contract loggers were engaged to create shaded fuel breaks at key areas on the fire. 

Today and Tonight:  Operations staff will continue to respond to daily conditions and fire behavior while carrying out their strategic approach to controlling the fire. Operations will emphasize reinforcing the southern line, the area of the Hwy 2 corridor, the McDougal Lake and Slate Lake areas.  Additional heavy equipment and personnel have been mobilized to assist in fire suppression.  Contract logging crews will continue to work on fuel break projects. 

WEATHER/FIRE BEHAVIOR:  Fire behavior yesterday was active and included short runs, group torching, and some spotting.  We are expecting near critical fire weather today with warmer temperatures and gusty winds.   

SUMMARY:  The Greenwood Fire was detected on August 15, 2021, around 3 p.m. on the Laurentian Ranger District.  The fire is near Greenwood Lake and approximately 15 miles southwest of Isabella.  The objective of fire management is full suppression using ground resources, heavy equipment, and aircraft.  The fire is threatening cabins, homes, and recreational sites.  The fire was caused by a lightning strike. 

SAFETY & EVACUATIONS:  Lake County Sheriff’s office evacuation orders are in effect for McDougal Lake, Sand Lake, the Highway 2 corridor, and north of Highway 1 in the vicinity of East and West Chub lakes, Jackpot, and Slate Lake.  For information regarding evacuations contact Lake County Emergency Management at 773-844-6449. You can sign up for emergency text alerts and calls from Lake County here: https://www.co.lake.mn.us/emergency-management/.  If you or your pets need shelter, there is a Red Cross shelter at the Finland Community Center for those who have been evacuated (425-677-5776). 

CLOSURES: 

• Hwy 2 is closed from Forest Hwy 11 to Hwy 1. Hwy 1 is closed from New Tomahawk Rd to Lankinen Rd.  
• A Forest Service closure order is in place to protect public health and safety due to the Greenwood Fire.  It extends across areas within the Kawishiwi, Laurentian, and Tofte Ranger Districts.  To see the full Forest order and other alerts go to: https://www.fs.usda.gov/superior. 
• A Temporary Flight Restriction for aircraft is in place over the fire area.