GREENWOOD FIRE QUICK FACTS                

SIZE:  26,797 acres   CONTAINMENT:  75%          PERSONNEL:  217

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 group continued to mitigate hazard trees along Highway 2. Merchantable wood is being sorted from non-merchantable material in order to fully utilize it. Crews patrolled and cooled areas of deep heat along the Highway 2 corridor. On the fire’s edge southeast of Greenwood Lake, the Wildland Fire Module continued to work to find and extinguish hot spots. Firefighters assessed heat in the dozer berms and cooled areas nearby. Crews using heavy equipment continued their work around McDougal Lake. The objective of the fire crews is to reduce the number of hazardous, fire-damaged trees in this area.

TODAY: Firefighters continue to search for and cool hot spots along the fire perimeter in numerous locations. Fire crews are cleaning up along Highway 1 where the fuel break had been constructed. Road graders are being used to repair roads where necessary and safe.

WEATHER/FIRE BEHAVIOR: High pressure will quickly move through the     Great Lakes Region today with a brief warming trend, lower relative    humidity, and westerly winds. Tomorrow will be mostly cloudy with a    70% chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs will be in the high 60s with relative humidity between 55-60%. The wind will be from the       southwest at about 10 mph with gusts up to around 20 mph. While there  have been a few soaking rains in the area, northeastern Minnesota      still falls short of normal annual precipitation. Warmer weather will  continue to dry vegetation, making it available as fuel for fire. Fire behavior concerns for Wednesday are minimal. Lower RH, winds, and sunnyskies may combine to produce increased activity in hotspots but fire   spread is not 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. For information about getting a checkpoint pass to access your property on Highway 1, call Lake County Dispatch, 218-510-0640.   Evacuation orders remain in place for the McDougal Lake area. 

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    

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