Superior National Forest leaders are closing part of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness as wildfires burn on the Canadian side of the border in the Quetico Wilderness.

The closures begin Saturday, July 17.

The BWCAW closure area includes:

-Tick Pristine Management Area

-Sundial Pristine Management Area – Zones 1, 2, and 5

-#22 Mudro-Restricted Entry Point – No BWCAW entry.

-#23 Mudro Entry Point – No BWCAW entry.

-Iron Lake travel zone closure –From Bottle Portage/Bottle Rapids to Iron Lake and adjoining bays and islands of Iron Lake including Peterson bay and Three Island. Adjoining portages include the 320-rod portage west of Iron Lake from Lac La Croix, the 72-rod Dark Lake portage south of Iron Lake, the 110-rod Bear Trap River portage Southeast of Iron Lake, and the 140-rod portage to Curtain Falls.

-Crooked Lake travel zone closure – All campsites on Crooked Lake and adjoining bays from Curtain Falls to Lower Basswood Falls including Sunday Bay, Saturday Bay, Friday Bay, Thursday Bay, and Wednesday Bay. This includes the portage at Lower Basswood Falls.

-Campsites North of Gun Lake – Closure begins at the 300-rod portage Northeast of Gun Lake and includes campsites on Wagosh Lake, Niki Lake and Chippewa Lake.

As of Wednesday, six wildfires were burning about 6,000 acres in the Quetico Wilderness, not far from the U.S. border.

Quetico Provincial Park has already enacted a closure area for the fires.

Fire managers are monitoring the situation and will determine when it is safe to lift this closure.

Northern Minnesota, including the Superior National Forest, is facing abnormally dry drought conditions, with no sign of relief from precipitation in the near future.

There is currently one active fire the Minnesota side of the BWCA, the Delta Fire, which was first detected on July 7.

Firefighters are making progress containing the 65-acre fire, according to forest officials.

Fire restrictions are in effect in the BWCA.

Campfires are only permitted in fee campgrounds inside established Forest Service maintained fire rings.

Open fires, including campfires, are not allowed elsewhere on the Forest including the BWCAW, Iron Lake Campground, and Trails End Campground. Visit the Forest website for more information.

To see the original post and read related stories, follow this link to the KBJR-TV website.  https://kbjr6.com/2021/07/15/wildfires-burning-near-canadian-border-prompt-partial-closures-in-bound...