GREENWOOD FIRE QUICK FACTS           

SIZE:  26,797 acres       CONTAINMENT:  80%          PERSONNEL:  163

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 10 miles southwest of Isabella. Maximum containment will peak at 81 percent, as wetland areas prevent crew and equipment from building containment lines in those areas.

YESTERDAY: Firefighting crews continued to work around the fire perimeter, patrolling for heat. Firefighters patrol by spacing themselves at a location and walking ahead in a line, looking for smoke and cold-trailing by carefully inspecting and feeling with the hand for heat to detect any fire, digging out every live hot spot.

TODAY: Heavy equipment work along Highway 2 is coming to a close. Crews continue to remove hazard trees and rehabilitation along containment lines, restoring the area to its normal state as much as possible. Firefighters will patrol the fire area, detecting any heat and smoke and cooling those spots.

WEATHER/FIRE BEHAVIOR: Today will be partly sunny with a 20 percent chance of showers. The high today will be around 59 degrees and relative humidity around 57 percent. Northwest winds around 7 mph with gusts to around 14 mph. Expect another wind shift to occur around 5 PM, with winds backing to the south. 

SAFETY & EVACUATIONS: The McDougal Lake Road, N. McDougal Lake Road, Middle Road, and Stony Loop Road in the Greenwood Fire Closure area are open to all property owners via a security pass card from the Lake County Sheriff. Security pass cards can be picked up at the checkpoint at Hwy 1 and McDougal Lake Road. For information about getting a checkpoint pass to access your property within the fire closure area, call Lake County Dispatch, 218-510-0640.  

CLOSURES: Effective September 21, the Forest Service reduced the size of the Greenwood Fire closure to forest lands and roads south of Highway 1. Here is a summary of what the new closure means for visitors:

• Open areas: forest lands and roads north of Highway 1 including Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Entry points - Island River, Isabella Lake, Bog Lake, Little Isabella River, Snake River, Hog Creek, and Pow Wow Trail.

• Closed areas: forest lands and roads south of Highway 1 including the Sand Lake Recreation Area and rustic campground, McDougal Lake area and all associated recreation areas and the Stony River Observation Point. Little Isabella Campground will also remain closed due to bear issues and rehabilitation.

For more information and to see a map of this public safety closure, visit the Forest’s alerts and warnings webpage. 

FIRE RESTRICTIONS: The Superior National Forest and the Minnesota DNR have lifted all fire restrictions.  Remember fires can start easily in dry grass and leaves in fall. Practice caution and ensure your fire is dead out before leaving it unattended. 

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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