The lack of rainfall has begun taking its toll this week and Smokey the Bear has raised his arm to the “high” fire danger mark to inform visitors of the dangerous conditions. The ground has become hard and dusty while the lawn grass is struggling to stay green enough to grow.
There have been a few wildfires burning in Canada and the smoke haze can be seen in Grand Marais, especially when the sun is lower in the sky. The smoky haze was thick enough on Monday to allow us to look directly at the sun without having to squint – sort of like an eclipse, and the sunsets were unusually red and pink from the lingering smoke.
Locally, there was a small fire burning on the Canadian side of Saganaga Lake on Finn’s Island that local volunteers and a Canadian helicopter helped extinguish before it became catastrophic. The woods are very dry and despite there not being a “fire-ban” issued yet, the Forest Service has been ticketing any campers leaving smoldering fire rings and stressing the importance of fire safety to BWCA visitors.
The Gunflint Trail was groomed for fire safety this spring, as many of you may have noticed the additional clearing along the scenic highway as crews are still cutting down trees and running the underbrush through a massive chipper. It seems a little devastating at first glance, but the clearing should decrease the immediate threat to homes and make the highway safer to travel in the event of a wildfire. It might look a little barren at first, but Mother Nature is very resilient, and safety comes first.
Cory Christianson has worked as a fishing guide on the Gunflint Trail since 2000. If you have any fishing or wildlife reports or stories to share, send an email to: christiansoncory@hotmail.com. You can also visit Cory’s website at Gunflintfishingguide.com.
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