What is Firewise?

Firewise is an educational program that provides a set of tools to help property owners prepare for wildfires to reduce future damage to their property. The Firewise program has many parts including fuel reduction, public outreach, Firewise Communities, Firewise Ambassadors, brush disposal sites, mitigation and planning grants, and property evaluations. This article will focus on one important part of the program: brush pick up sites. 

Free Firewise evaluations are offered to help landowners understand the wildfire risks on their property and what can be done to protect structures from wildfires in the future and improve emergency vehicle access. This includes thinning out balsam fir and other fuels within 100 feet of structures and cutting back vegetation along and over driveways. There is an overabundance of dry fuel in the forest due to spruce budworm mortality in balsam and spruce trees that needs mitigation. Brush disposal sites offer property owners a safe place to dispose of brush and vegetation from these fuel reduction efforts.

Cook County Firewise offers seven community brush disposal sites located throughout the county that accept brush and vegetation from property owners. They are provided in partnership with the US Forest Service (USFS), the MN Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and the Cook County Highway Department. These sites are strategically located throughout the county including:

• Airport Pit-224 Ball Club Road
• Pike Lake Pit-156 Cascade Bluffs Road
• Caribou Pit-1139 Caribou Trail
• East Bearskin Pit-33 East Bearskin Road
• Cross River Pit-10667 Gunflint Trail
• Greenwood Lake Pit-1748 Shoe Lake Road
• Horseshoe Bay Pit-5341 East Highway 61.

There is no charge for disposing of vegetation, and the sites are open all summer and fall. Brush piles at the disposal sites are burned by the USFS and DNR in the fall when conditions are safe to do so including four inches or more of snow on the ground. To keep the brush disposal sites open and maintained, it is important that no trash, treated lumber, or stumps are disposed of there. To find the closest site to you, view the interactive map on the Cook County Firewise website, cookcountyfirewise.org. 

On July 4th, a fire broke out at the Airport Pit Brush Disposal Site. The Maple Hill and Grand Marais Fire Departments responded to the fire call with support from the USFS, DNR, Cook County Highway Department, and Sheriff’s Office as well. The cause of the fire is being investigated by the USFS. While the flames were put out, the pile continues to smolder. The site is being watched from the air, and is also being checked by our Firewise Coordinator, Sheriff’s Office, Highway Department, USFS, and other partners. THE AIRPORT PIT SITE IS CLOSED FOR THE SEASON. We are exploring options for a temporary alternative site in the area. Other brush disposal sites will see increased drop-off activity, as a result. 

A fire at this site could continue to smolder for weeks or even months after visible flames have now been extinguished. This is not unusual in large piles of wood chips, brush, and organic material. Several factors contribute:

• Deep-seated combustion: Large brush or wood-chip piles can act like insulation. Once heat penetrates the center, the fire can continue burning slowly with very little oxygen, producing little visible flame but remaining extremely hot.
• Internal air pockets: Voids within the pile allow just enough oxygen to sustain combustion underground while preventing enough airflow for open flames.
• Dry organic material: Wood chips, bark, leaves, and branches contain abundant fuel. Even after rain or snow wets the surface, the interior often remains dry.
• Heat retention: Massive piles can retain temperatures well above the ignition point for long periods. The surrounding material insulates the hot core, slowing cooling.
• Reignition: Wind, excavation, or moving material can expose hot embers to fresh oxygen, causing flames to flare up days or even months later.
• Limited water penetration: Water applied from above may cool only the outer layers. It often cannot reach the deep-burning core unless the pile is dismantled and soaked layer by layer.

Our volunteer fire departments often face difficult choices because completely extinguishing a deep-seated pile fire may require bringing in heavy equipment to separate the pile, applying thousands to hundreds of thousands of gallons of water, continuously monitoring hot spots with thermal imaging, and/or turning and rewetting the material multiple times.

If there is little threat to nearby structures or vegetation, incident commanders sometimes choose to isolate the pile, monitor it closely, and allow the smoldering material to burn itself out under controlled conditions. This approach can conserve water and equipment while reducing the risk of hidden hot spots reigniting after crews leave.

With so many dead and dying balsam fir trees across Cook County due to the spruce budworm outbreak, we are more vulnerable to wildfire than we have been in years. As we enjoy the rest of the summer, please use extra caution with campfires, burn barrels, fireworks, cigarettes, and equipment that can create sparks. Follow current fire restrictions, make sure every fire is completely extinguished, and report any signs of smoke right away. A few moments of care can help protect our forests, homes, businesses, and the people who call Cook County home or visit.

For more information on Cook County’s Firewise program, visit cookcountyfirewise.org or contact Cook County Firewise Coordinator, Steve VanKekerix at [email protected] or 218-387-4133.

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