Overall, the 2024 wildfire season for the Superior National Forest (SNF) had low wildfire activity despite record-low snowfall during the winter of 2023-2024 and very low precipitation during the early months of 2024. However, with the month of June came a substantial rain and flooding event that swept across the SNF, damaging roads and infrastructure and decreasing wildfire potential. By July and August, rain precipitation amounts were once again on the low end, a trend that continued into the fall with a continued drying pattern that prompted the SNF and other land management agencies and Tribal Bands to enact campfire restrictions. Nevertheless, despite record-setting drought conditions, wildfires on the SNF were small in size and complexity.

Wildfire

The SNF had its first wildfire on March 12, 2024. In all, the SNF had 17 human-caused fires for a total of 288 acres. The largest fire was the Bogus Lake Fire, which occurred on October 8, 2024, at 53 acres.

• May 2024: Fry Fire
• September 2024: Ski Trail Fire & Wood Lake Fire
• October 2024: Shell Lake and Bogus Lake Fire

The SNF works in partnership with the State of Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, county partners, local fire departments, Tribal Bands, and SNF resource staff to put the right fire treatment at the right time and place for the greatest benefit.

Prescribed Fire

The SNF kicked off the 2024 spring-prescribed fire season with ambitious goals to reintroduce more fire on the landscape. Sixty-one prescribed fire projects were completed for a total of over 2,038 acres.

Fire managers and staff began prescribed fire operations when drought levels decreased. The first prescribed fire operations were oak-blueberry and early marsh burns for wildlife habitat, conducted while some snow was present. These burns help invigorate habitat and forage prior to budding. Following those burns, additional burning occurred when summer vegetation growth became abundant. These prescribed fires included pile burning (burning of piles of stacked small-diameter vegetation for hazardous fuels reduction) and pine under burning (low-intensity prescribed fire in red and white pine stands to reintroduce fire to fire-dependent species). They broadcast burning (low-to-moderate intensity fire to reintroduce fire to fire-dependent ecosystems).

“The successes and outcomes from our 2024 Prescribed Fire program resulted from strong interagency partnerships with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, The Nature Conservancy, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and other USDA coordination. Our fire program continues to utilize prescribed fire as a vegetation management treatment. Thorough planning, education, and skillful tactics are always utilized through an intensive preplanning process,” says Nick Petrack, Forest Management Officer for the Superior and Chippewa NF.

In comparison, staff completed more than 1,050 acres in 2024 than the 2022 season (30 projects at 988 acres), and 2,803 acres less than 2023 (52 projects at 4,841) due to summer and fall drought conditions.

Many factors go into successful prescribed fires including fuel considerations, wind, humidity, temperature, soil moisture, terrain and location, smoke management, firefighting staffing levels, and prescribed fire support staff.

On a national level, there were 96 days at Preparedness Levels 4 and 5, with more than 1.5 million acres burned above the 10-year average. The nation hit Preparedness Level 5 three separate times, causing resources and firefighters to push to their limits. However, overall, the USDA Forest Service conducted more than 4.2 million acres of hazardous fuels reduction, including 2.2 million acres of prescribed fire (an all-time agency record).

More information about wildfire and prescribed fire on the Superior NF:

Fire management on the Superior National Forest

Prescribed Fire on the Superior National Forest