The fire staff of the Gunflint and Tofte Ranger Stations may be conducting a prescribed fire on 3 pile units located along the east side of the Sawbill Trail on Monday, April 20th.  Please see the attached map below for the specific locations.

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. For pile burning we want cooler, damper conditions such that the spread and/or “creep” is minimal, but also just dry enough that the piles consume.  We consult with the National Weather Service in Duluth daily when we are igniting piles to be sure that forecasts are aligned with the needed conditions.

You can expect to see signs along roadways near our burns. Expect there to be significant smoke impacts of short duration during ignitions. There will be firefighters on site and, if necessary, wildland engine(s). We will patrol our burns any day 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 entire day. During ignition and for a few days after ignitions the area will have residual light smoke, smoldering, some overstory trees may still have smoke/fire in them, and there may be creeping, slow moving surface spread. Our fire staff anticipates this. As long as there is not a threat of fire spreading outside the project area, we will typically allow fire to burn. The project area may be the entire area that piles are in, such as a timber sale.

If you see fire or smoke in an area 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.

See the attached map in the PDF below.