Two small fires were discovered in Cook County on Tuesday, October 4. Both were quickly extinguished, one by the Lutsen Fire Department and one by U.S. Forest Service fire crews.
Superior National Forest Fire Management Officer Patty Johnson said a fire was spotted at Flame Lake by the Forest Service Beaver aircraft on a flight monitoring the Pagami Creek fire. The fire appeared small enough and the weather conditions were calm enough that it was unlikely the fire would spread rapidly, so fire crews paddled in from Sawbill Lake. They were able to extinguish the flames which had burned approximately 1/10th of an acre.
Johnson said it is believed that the cause of the fire was lightning. That will be confirmed when the fire crew arrives back at the Tofte Ranger Station.
The second fire was discovered by Clara Lake cabin owner Bob Tyson, who called Cook County Law Enforcement at 6:23 p.m. to report a “smoldering bog fire” on the southeast side of Clara Lake. Tyson said the fire was about 10 feet by 10 feet and the flames were six to eight inches.
Cook County Law Enforcement paged the Lutsen Fire Department and contacted the Forest Service. The Lutsen Fire Department responded with one engine. When Lutsen Fire Chief Paul Goettl arrived he determined that his department would be able to extinguish the fire without help from the Forest Service.
Cook County Law Enforcement contacted the Forest Service and Mark Lawler agreed with Lutsen’s assessment and said he would check the fire in the morning. He added, “Tell them thanks!” Johnson explained that crews were available if truly needed, but that the Forest Service had already released them for the evening. “Because the size-up was so small, we knew the fire department would put a tanker of water on it and take care of it. By the time we got a crew there, they would have had it out.”
The Lutsen Fire Department did quickly extinguish the fire and was clear of the scene by 7:48 p.m.
The Forest Service checked out the scene the next day and Johnson said it appears that the fire had been there for several days. “It had burned down into the roots. It was probably from a campfire that had been smoldering,” she said.
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