Three new wildfires spark in the Boundary Waters after lightning storm

Three new wildfires have ignited in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) due to storms that passed through the area on Thursday, June 4. The Superior National Forest (SNF) said that crews have been working on management and suppression techniques. While officials have not issued any closures at this time, they urge people to stay away from areas where crews are working. The wilderness campfire ban will remain in effect through June 30.

Because these are active and evolving situations, we’ll continue to add updates here. You can find additional updates at the Superior National Forest’s Facebook page, website, or at inciweb.wildfire.gov.

Tiger Fire

Size: 1 acre
Status: 100% Contained as of June 8
Cause: Lightning strike
Personnel: 10

A patrol flight spotted the smoke on the afternoon of June 6 on the east end of Lac La Croix. A Chinook helicopter made water drops on the fire the same day to prevent it from spreading. Then, fire officials developed a plan for extinguishment, prioritizing firefighter safety due to fire-affected, dead, and downed trees. 

Ground crews moved into the area on June 7, setting up access and creating a fire line. They brought in a water pump and hoses to continually supply water to the edges of the wildfire. As they gained control over the fire, they continued to put out hot spots, flames, or other areas of heat.

“The threats from this fire or what firefighters commonly refer to as values at risk include wilderness visitors in the immediate area, 2-4 wilderness campsites, and the nearby Lac La Croix Administrative Site, a historic Forest Service site with Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) built structures,” the SNF said on social media. 

Loon Fire

Size: 10 acres
Status: 0% Contained
Cause: Lightning strike
Personnel: 10

Aerial spotters also discovered this wildfire on Saturday, June 6. It sparked up east of East Loon Bay on Loon Lake, roughly 11 miles east of Crane Lake. The Forest Service brought in a Chinook helicopter and another, smaller helicopter to drop water on the fire, which helped slow its spread.

On June 7, the two helicopters continued water drops while collaborating with crews on the ground who were setting up water pumps and hoses to extinguish flames and smoldering areas. 

Buck Fire 

Size: .25 acres
Status: 0% Contained
Cause: Lightning strike
Personnel: 0 (aerial monitoring)

The same lightning storm that passed through on June 4 also started the Buck Lake fire. A routine patrol flight detected it on June 7, about a half mile north of Buck Lake, which is 12 miles north of Tower. The crew spotted a tree smoldering after a lightning strike. Fire officials flew over the site yesterday to determine how to suppress the fire and access it. In the afternoon, a helicopter made water drops, which helped reduce the fire’s intensity and spread.

Because the location is challenging to access and poses a higher risk to firefighting crews, officials will monitor the Buck Fire from the air. A helicopter stands by in case it needs to make more water drops, and officials may deploy ground crews for further suppression depending on the weather.

Fire’s role in the BWCA

The BWCAW is primarily a boreal forest dotted with numerous lakes and river systems. Fire can play a positive role in the boreal forest, contributing to healthy ecosystems by clearing out old, competing vegetation and reducing the spread of invasive species. Newly burned areas provide important wildlife habitat and grazing areas for animals. Trees such as Jack Pine rely on fire to open pine cones and release seeds. Additionally, fruiting plants such as blueberries and raspberries thrive in recently burned clearings.

Historically, Indigenous people living in the region intentionally started wildfires, understanding the benefits to the land and to themselves. Now, prescribed fires as ordered by the Forest Service rarely occur within the boundaries of the federally designated wilderness. This is mostly due to laws and regulations created when the wilderness was officially designated. 

Plus, because the area is hard to access, coordinating, containing, and extinguishing prescribed burns (and naturally caused wildfires) are challenging.

Wildfire response in the wilderness

When managing forest fires or planning controlled burns, the SNF, which oversees the BWCAW, prioritizes human life and safety. The preservation of structures comes second. However, there are only a few ranger stations and small Forest Service buildings throughout the wilderness.

The Minnesota Incident Command System (MNICS), located at the Interagency Fire Center in Grand Rapids, directs wildfire operations. MNICS partners, consisting of state, federal, and Tribal governments, manage and make decisions regarding wildfires and other emergencies. St. Louis, Cook, and Lake counties in northeastern Minnesota have their own Wildfire Protection Plan. According to the Forest Service, these plans help to “reduce wildland fire risks across larger areas in a shorter amount of time by prioritizing and coordinating efforts across jurisdictions.” 

Since June 6, an emergency forest order has been in place banning campfires in the BWCAW due to exceptionally dry conditions. The Forest Service expects to keep the order in place until June 30, unless conditions change.

More info:

• Fire crews continue monitoring two wildfires in the Boundary Waters, fires growing slowly – WTIP
• USFS-Superior National Forest Alerts
• Fire – Superior National Forest