Superior National Forest Firewise Pit Pile Burns on the Tofte and Gunflint Ranger Districts this Week
Dec 10, 2024 12:00PM ● By Content Editor
Photo: Superior National Forest Facebook Page
From the US Forest Service - Superior National Forest - December 10, 2024
The East Zone of Superior National Forest is planning on conducting Firewise Pit pile burns on the Tofte and Gunflint Ranger Districts, on Wednesday December 11th, Thursday December 12th, and Friday December 13th. The Firewise piles expected to be ignited include Harriet Lake, Caribou, Cross River, East Bearskin, Greenwood, Airport, and Pike Lake. We also may be igniting administrative brush piles on the Tofte Ranger Station and Seagull Guard Station compounds. Please see maps for specific pile locations.
Image: USFS
Image: USFS
As is the case with all our prescribed burns, we will need to ensure that the weather and the environmental conditions are in line with being able to meet our objectives and to do so safely. Pit piles are larger than normal hand or machine piles, and we typically wait until there is adequate snow on the ground to ensure that there is minimal creep away from the pile footprint.
You can expect to see signs along roadways near our burns. If a burn area is accessible by ATV or foot, you can expect signs posted where we are accessing the area. Expect there to be significant smoke impacts of short duration during ignitions in some areas. There will be firefighters on site and, if necessary, wildland fire engine(s). We will patrol our burns on days when fire spread is possible. We may only drive/hike in an area to check and you may not see firefighters in the vicinity the entirety of the day. Our fire staff anticipates that during ignitions and for a few days after ignitions, the area will have residual smoke and smoldering. If there is not a threat of fire spreading outside the project area, we will typically allow the fire to burn. The project area of the Firewise Pits includes the area directly adjacent to the piles.
If you see fire or smoke in an area that you don’t believe it should be, please call the Forest Service. For Gunflint Office: 218-387-1750 and for Tofte Office: 218-663-8060.
