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Forest fires continue to burn in Lake and Cook County, and nearby Quetico, causing the air to be thick with smoke at times, depending upon the direction of the wind.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) issued an air quality alert effective until 3 p.m. on Wednesday, August 25, for Lake and Cook Counties. The affected areas included Hibbing, Ely, Virginia, Hoyt Lakes, Babbitt, Isabella, Two Harbors, Silver Bay, Grand Marais, and Grand Portage.
Even with the fire ban across the county, the local police have been getting calls about people making campfires. Most local gas stations and stores have discontinued firewood sales from their stores until the fire ban is over.
“We are still getting calls of people having fires, and we want to strongly urge that if you witness someone openly burning, please call the Cook County Sheriff ’s Office to report anything; you can remain anonymous if you wish. We have implemented a zero-tolerance operating guideline and if you are burning during this time, you can expect a citation,” said Cook County Sheriff Pat Eliasen, who added, “Thank you to the many volunteers who have pledged to keep Cook County safe during these trying times and who put themselves at risk to come to the aid of others. Without our volunteer community, we would be hard-pressed to fill all of the emergency response roles to ensure the safety of everyone in Cook County.”
Forest fires
The Greenwood Lake wildfire is the largest fire in the area. It is located about 15 miles southwest of Isabella and had burned 30 square miles (19,439 acres) of the forest as of Wednesday, August 25. As a result, surrounding residents and visitors were asked to evacuate the area. More than 430 wildfire crews are fighting the Greenwood Lake fire that was first detected on August 15.
With tinder-dry conditions and little rain in the forecast, the USFS closed the BWCAW on August 21 for one week. But by Wednesday, August 25, the Forest Service extended the BWCAW closure through September 3. This was the first time in 45 years the Forest Service closed the one-million-acre park to visitors.
As the fires evolve, changes are coming daily from the Forest Service. For example, early August 25, the Forest Service announced it was closing Superior National Forest lands along the upper portion of the Gunflint Trail due to fires in the vicinity and limited availability of firefighting resources.
“This closure includes all forest lands along Cook County 12/Gunflint Trail beginning at the Cook County 92 Intersection to the end of the Gunflint Trail at Trails End Campground. Campground reservations have been canceled and refunded for the next seven days, through August 31. After that, the Forest will reevaluate this closure and determine whether it needs to be extended due to active fires. This closure area also includes Iron Lake Campground,” said the news release.
On Monday evening, August 23, residents and visitors from Seagull Lake to Loon Lake along the Gunflint Trail were recommended to be in the “ready” mode in case of evacuation. Anyone leaving early was asked to check in to the Cook County Community YMCA and give their name and cabin/house address which would be shared with law enforcement so law enforcement would know they didn’t need to be evacuated in case the fires expanded.
The John Ek fire, located 2.5 miles south of Little Saganaga Lake in the BWCA in the Tofte Ranger District, was estimated at 727 acres based on aerial flight mapping. Meanwhile, the Whelp fire, located about four miles northwest of Sawbill, was estimated at 80 acres. Those tallies came from a call to the Forest Service on Wednesday, August 25.
“The John Ek and Whelp Fires are currently unstaffed due to difficult access and no designated aircraft assigned to our fires. Therefore, we cannot insert folks in the wilderness without having an aircraft on standby for evacuation purposes. We do have several overstaff and firefighters on standby for when we do get aircraft committed to our incident,” said USFS spokesperson Sarah Shapiro early Tuesday. By Wednesday, a crew of 10 from Alaska and a crew of 13 from Indiana had arrived, and fire suppression plans were being made to fight the John Ek and Whelp fires.
When asked how many wildfire fighters were in the county, Joanna Gilkeson, USFS Public Affairs Specialist, said, “We have firefighters here from across the country and more arriving daily.” Still, she didn’t know for sure how many.
Gilkeson was happy to report that none of the firefighting crews had reported any injuries.
A type 1 crew of 20 from New Mexico worked the Petit Fire along the Grade Road on Monday evening. Planes were circling overhead, dropping water on the blaze. The Petit fire and three other half-acre or smaller fires had started the night before and were believed to have been caused by lightning.
A community meeting was held at the Tofte Town Hall on Wednesday, August 25, at 6 p.m. to answer questions about the 13 fires burning within the Superior National Forest.
As of August 23, 82 fires were burning in northwestern Ontario, with ten not under control, four fires being held, and nine fires under control while 59 were monitored.
Environment Canada issued air quality statements for Atikokan, Upsala and the Quetico. Outdoor burning is prohibited in Kenora, Fort Francis, Dryden and Thunder Bay. Firefighters from Mexico, Australia, and throughout Canada have been called to assist in putting out the fires. The largest fire is near Kenora, and it has burned almost 200,667 hectares (495,693.4 acres).
The ten-year average for number of forest fires in Ontario is 731. So far this year, there have been 1,154.
On Saturday evening, August 21, the Kawishiwi Lake Rustic Campground and Sawbill campgrounds were mainly filled and the forest service was asking people to pack up and leave. Forest service rangers were also paddling the Louse River, telling people to leave the area. With smoke rising to the north of the lake, one canoeist coming off Kawishiwi Lake said he had seen the actual fire. He and his father, who was taking care of the canoe, were getting ready to pack up and leave.
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