Two small fires are burning in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, and are being intensively managed by Superior National Forest crews. The fires have not yet resulted in the closure of any entry points, but some campsites are affected.
The larger of the fires has burned about 100 acres near the South Arm of Knife Lake. Sixteen firefighters were flown into the area on Tuesday, which is burning partly in an area affected by the 1999 Blowdown. The South Arm is closed to visitors.
A much smaller fire – one tree burning when it was spotted and currently burning three tenths of an acre – is located on Sedative Lake, north of Ima Lake. Over the weekend, a quarter-acre fire on Disappointment Lake was contained.
The Forest Service is asking canoeists to give crews and airplanes a wide berth. No fire ban has been announced, but the Superior National Forest is advising visitors to make campfires after 7 p.m.
Update 8/30/2013: The fires have been contained and all areas re-opened. The region received about 2 inches of rain the night of August 29, effectively extinguishing the fires.
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