Image of initial size up of the Wood Lake fire. USDA image by A. Kania
Two Wildfires Now Burning Near Ely and BWCA Wilderness
By Joe Friedrichs
A wildfire continues to burn in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, with potentially a second fire now burning near Ely.
As Paddle and Portage reported early this week, a wildfire was detected Tuesday morning on an island on Wood Lake. The fire, which is believed to be started by a campfire, led to the closure of some campsites, portages and lakes.
In addition to the fire on Wood Lake, late Thursday afternoon officials from Superior National Forest said there is potentially another fire on the North Arm of Burntside Lake. Information on the size and severity of the reported fire on Burntside Lake remain limited as of Friday morning. Burntside Lake is well known among the paddling community for its connection to Sigurd Olson and Listening Point, which is on the popular lake about 10 miles from Ely.
Meanwhile, pending an official fire investigation, the Forest Service says it is possible the Wood Lake Fire was started by humans, possibly from a campfire. The Forest Service said Thursday afternoon that the Wood Lake Fire is about 3 acres in size and is not contained.
The closing of some lakes, campsites and portages is intended to keep anyone from possibly getting in the way of emergency crews as they try to put out the fire, according to the federal agency. Click here to learn more about the fire and the closure areas impacted by the Wood Lake Fire.
Late August and the first half of September have been unseasonably warm across most of the Boundary Waters region. Among the exceptions to this is the night of Sept. 8, when temps dipped into the upper 20s across most of northeastern Minnesota. There has also been limited precipitation in recent weeks. Indeed, the forest floor in the BWCA Wilderness is dry and needs moisture, as Paddle and Portage staff experienced this week on a trip to a remote part of the wilderness.
Check back for updates on these two fires burning near Ely.
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