According to the Minnesota Incident Command update for Wednesday, September 21, the Pagami Creek Fire is now 30% contained. The size decreased to 93,669 acres because of more accurate GPS mapping on the northwest side. Of the total acreage, 9,274 acres are outside the wilderness. Between 2/10th to 1/2 of an inch of rain fell on the fire yesterday. Eleven canoes were airlifted into Insula Lake on the eastern side of the fire for incoming crews. The spike camp near Isabella is set up and fully operational for about 300 personnel.
Today firefighters are conducting water-safety training for four new crews; assessing the northeast side and evaluating the perimeter for possible use of fire line explosives to build fire line over rock with shallow soils; continuing patrols and pulling hose from containment lines, and continuing to construct fire line; scouting for hotspots and mopping up.
There are 781 incident personnel, and three crews will be arriving today. There are three Type 1 helicopters, and two Type 3 helicopter. Six hotshot (Type 1) crews, twelve Type 2 crews, and two camp crews are on the incident. There are also twenty-three engines, seven dozers, and three water tenders assigned to the incident.
Showers are continuing today and sustained northwest winds are expected to be in the teens with gusts in the mid 20s. The fire today is expected to continue to creep and smolder.
A drying and warming trend will start Thursday and extend into the weekend.
ROAD CLOSURES AND BLOCKS: Highway 1 is open. Closed roads are roads north of Highway 1 from Forest Road (FR) 1468 east to Isabella; Wanless Road (FR 172) east to Cramer Road/Lake County Road 7; Cramer Road/Lake County Road 7 north to FR 354; FR 354 north to BWCAW boundary at Kawishiwi Lake; and the Wanless Road (FR172). In Lake County, road blocks are at the intersections of Highway 1 and the Tomahawk Trail; Highway 1 and Deep Lake Road; Highway 1 and Bandana Road; Highway 1 and Mitawan Lake Road; Highway 1 and Arrowhead Road; Highway 1 and Wanless Road; Wanless Road and Manitou Junction; Wanless Road and Cramer Road/Lake County Road 7; Cramer Road/Lake County Road 7 and Hoist Creek Road; and Highway 1 and East Grade Road. In Cook County, a road block is at the intersection of Sawbill Trail and Four-Mile Grade. Four-Mile Grade is closed between FR 339 and FR 340.
The fire started on August 18 approximately 14 miles east of Ely (within the BWCAW) in the Pagami Creek area between the South Kawishiwi River, Clearwater Lake, and Lake One. The current fire perimeter from the north is Lake One, Two, Four, and Lake Insula. The eastern perimeter is the southern edge of Lake Polly and east of Kawasachong Lake, west of Perent Lake, and northwest of Silver Island Lake. The southern perimeter crosses the intersection of Island River Road and Lake Twenty-Nine Road, Twenty-Nine Lake, and the Isabella River to Bog Lake.
Wilderness closures and burning restrictions: www.fs.usda.gov/goto/superior/home or 218-365-7600
Smoke conditions: www.pca.state.mn.us
For the most up-to-date information visit:
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