Cooler weather on Wednesday that included rain and even some snow showers helped slow the advance of the Pagami Creek fire in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness which has consumed more than 100,000 acres of forest.
The Pagami Creek Fire, which has so far consumed some 100,000 acres of Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness forest, is the largest forest fire in Minnesota since 1918.
Fanned by gusty northwest winds, the Pagami Creek Fire nearly quadrupled in size yesterday, charring Boundary Water Canoe Area Wilderness forest from Lakes One and Two in the north to just north of Clearwater Lake in the south.
The Pagami Creek fire in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness has expanded to consume more than 4,000 acres of forest, prompting closures of some areas of the BWCAW near Ely.
Superior National Forest officials are using intentional burns to reduce the danger posed by a small, lightening ignited fire near Lake One and Lake Two in the Boundary Waters east of Ely, Minnesota.
A lightning-caused wildfire in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness that smoldered for a week has grown to 130 acres and is now being closely monitored by U.S. Forest Service officials.
A small wildfire is burning on a peninsula of Gaskin Lake in the eastern portion of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
A small forest fire is burning south of the Gunflint Trail in a remote section of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in the general vicinity of Long Island Lake.
While continuing to deem the fire danger in northeastern Minnesota “high,” the U.S. Forest Service has relaxed some of the restrictions put in place earlier to reduce the likelihood of wildfire starting Superior National Forest.
Although weekend rains may have lessened the immediate fire danger in the Quetico-Superior region, wildland fire experts say this year could shape up to be one of the worst fire years in a generation.
Rain predicted for later today should lessen the extreme fire danger that has accompanied the earliest and driest spring on record in Northeastern Minnesota. Yesterday, despite high winds and dry air, firefighters were able to control new fires and keep others contained.
Despite some light showers over the weekend, wildfire danger in Northeastern Minnesota is still high according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
Fire restrictions will be tightened on Friday in the Superior and Chippewa National Forests as continued dry weather raises the risk of wildfire. The Minnesota DNR is also tightening fire regulations.
Fire danger is high across the Quetico-Superior region as agencies tighten burning restrictions and brace against ripe conditions for wildfires.
Prescribed burns planned for the Gunflint Ranger District in September were canceled due to budget short falls, but continued fuel reduction in the blowdown is planned – weather permitting.
Voyageurs National Park officials plan to burn an area on Tar Point near Blind Indian Narrows in Namakan Lake Thursday. The burn is intended to help determine what effect fire has on archeological artifacts and help determine the effects of fire on vegetation.
Forest fire danger in northern Minnesota and western Ontario is low, but that doesn’t mean area firefighters are keeping busy. Wild-land fire fighters from the Quetico-Superior region are helping fight fires currently burning in British Columbia.
Hundreds of people descended upon the Gunflint Trail outside of Grand Marais last weekend to plant thousands of pine seedlings and green up the fire impacted forest. Wilderness News Online caught up with Quetico Superior Foundation board member and Gunflint Trail property owner Dyke Williams, who had the opportunity to join the annual event. Read our Q&A.
The US Forest Service recently released its Superior National Forest Prescribed Burn plan for 2009, including several locations in the Gunflint and Tofte Ranger Districts.
The day of the Gunflint Green Up dawned bright and cold, with three inches of fresh snow blanketing the ground. Spring snow certainly isn’t unheard of in canoe country, but it …