GREENWOOD FIRE QUICK FACTS        

SIZE:  26,797 acres                     CONTAINMENT:  75%                 PERSONNEL:  311

ANNOUNCEMENT: The Minnesota Incident Management Team C assumed command of the Greenwood Fire today at 6:00 a.m. 

SUMMARY: Started by lightning, the Greenwood Fire was detected on August 15, 2021, about 3:00 p.m. on the Laurentian Ranger District.  The fire started approximately ten miles southwest of Isabella. 14 primary structures and 57 outbuildings were destroyed on August 23.   The objective of fire management for the Greenwood Fire is full suppression using all available resources. 

YESTERDAY: The heavy equipment task force worked along Highway 1, chipping and placing larger logs and brush into burn piles. Firefighters pulled hose from the northwest corner of the fire. Crews patrolled and mopped up along the Highway 2 corridor, south to Greenwood Lake. On the fire’s edge southeast of Greenwood Lake, the Wildland Fire Module continues to work to find and extinguish hot spots. Firefighters found heat in the dozer berms and cooled those areas. Crews using heavy equipment continued their work around McDougal Lake, removing hazard trees and making it safe for property owners to return to their homes when the work is complete. 

TODAY: Containment will increase as firefighters continue to secure the perimeter. Fire crews are cleaning up along Highway 1 where the fuel break had been constructed. Crews will remove hose and use an excavator to mop up along Highway 2. Graders are being used to repair the road in the McDougal Lake area.

WEATHER/FIRE BEHAVIOR: Today there is a 20% chance of showers until    9:00. Skies will be mostly cloudy until noon, then mostly sunny.       High temperatures will be from 67-71 with relative humidity between    40-52%. West winds will be from 2-11 mph, shifting to the northwest    late in the afternoon with gusts up to 19 mph. Despite sunny weather,  no fire movement is anticipated.

SAFETY & EVACUATIONS: The Lake County Sheriff’s Office has opened Highway 2 between Highway 11 and Highway 1 to all traffic. Be alert for firefighters and fire equipment in the area and observe posted speed limits. Evacuation orders remain in place for the McDougal Lake area. For information about getting a checkpoint pass to access your property on Highway 1, call Lake County Dispatch, 218-510-0640. 

CLOSURES:

• Highway 1 is closed from the Highway 1 and Highway 2 intersection to Lankinen Road and only property owners with passes issued by the Sheriff’s Office may travel along the highway. Highway 2 is open to all traffic.

• National Forest System lands, roads and recreation areas are closed in the area of the Greenwood Fire to protect public health and safety. The closure area extends across the Kawishiwi, Laurentian, and Tofte Ranger Districts and includes several Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Entry Points. To see the full Forest order and other Forest closures, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/superior.

FIRE RESTRICTIONS: Fire restrictions are being evaluated daily and are currently in place for the Superior National Forest and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources for areas within state jurisdiction, Cook and Lake Counties, and northern St. Louis County. See the Superior National Forest Fire Restrictions Order and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources MN DNR Wildland Fire Information for more information.

Greenwood Fire information on InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7805/

Public Information Line: 218-499-9441     Email: [email protected]     

For all other fires on the Superior National Forest: 218-214-7844    Facebook: Superior National Forest