A campfire ban for the BWCA Wilderness goes into effect June 6. Photo by Erik Dickes
Forest Service Enacts Campfire Ban in BWCA Wilderness Starting June 6
By Joe Friedrichs
UPDATE: Campfire ban lifted on Friday, June 12.
Campfires will once again be allowed as of Friday in the BWCA Wilderness.
Original Post:
Campfires in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness will temporarily be banned starting Saturday, June 6.
The campfire ban is currently scheduled to be in place until June 30.
Campfires will no longer be allowed at this time due to dry conditions across the wilderness and the risk for wildfires. The campfire ban goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. Saturday.
The use of a camp stove solely fueled by liquid petroleum or propane is still allowed, even in the BWCA Wilderness. Stoves or grills fueled by charcoal, or any type of wood are not allowed.
Campfire will remain legal on the rest of Superior National Forest outside of the BWCA Wilderness.
There’s been an uptick in wildfire activity in and around the BWCA Wilderness in recent weeks, including a fire this week burning near Ely on the shores of Burntside Lake, and a fire on the North Shore near Two Harbors in late May.
This is the first campfire ban in the BWCA Wilderness this paddling season.
Subscribe to Paddle and Portage to support journalism from and about the Boundary Waters.
Other Recent Articles
Forest Service Aims to Increase BWCA Permit Cancellation Costs
Sign at an outfitter in Ely. Photo by Joe Friedrichs BOUNDARY WATERS – It’s a start. That’s been the general sentiment from outfitters and some members of the public regarding the U.S. Forest Service’s plan to increase the cost of cancelling a permit to the Boundary...
Paddlers Embrace Phone Reporting in Quetico, Others Eye NEXUS Program to Replace RABC Permits
The Cache Bay Ranger Station is a southern entrance to Quetico. The results have been positive for a new telephone reporting system set up by the Canada Border Services Agency for people looking to enter Quetico from the park’s southern entrances. The telephone...
No RABC Permit, No Problem: Telephone Reporting Sites Go Live in Quetico in June
Quetico entrance at Cache Bay. Photo by Joe Friedrichs Paddlers will be able to enter Quetico Provincial Park at the Prairie Portage and Cache Bay ranger stations using the new telephone reporting sites starting next month. Paddle & Portage media spoke to...