LAKE COUNTY, Minnesota — Fires and campfires within the Boundary Waters area will soon be restricted as the dry conditions persist in northern Minnesota.
Officials with the Superior National Forest issued an Emergency Forest Order restricting campers from igniting, building maintaining, attending or using a fire or campfire in an effort to reduce the chances for a wildfire in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW).
The order, which will go into effect Tuesday, Oct. 1, prohibits charcoal grills, barbeques and grills — both coal and woodburning. The restrictions will remain in place until further notice, officials said.
“We have seen warmer and dryer conditions across much of the Superior National Forest, especially within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness," said Superior National Forest Supervisor Tom Hall in a statement. "We want the recreating public to be safe as they enjoy the Forest."
Forest officials are also reinstating the Wood Lake Fire closure restrictions, which will close several lakes and portages. Here are the areas that will be restricted:
- BWCAW points of entry:
- #26 Wood Lake
- Lakes:
- Wood Lake
- Hula Lake
- Good Lake
- Indiana Lake
- Portages:
- Wood Lake Entry Point Parking Lot to Wood Lake
- Wood Lake to Hula Lake
- Hula Lake to Good Lake
- Good Lake to Good Creek
- Good Lake to Hoist Bay (Basswood Lake)
- Good Lake to Indiana Lake
- Indiana Lake to Basswood Lake
- Indiana Lake to Wind Bay Creek (Wind Bay, Basswood Lake)
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service, the risk for wildfire is high all across northern Minnesota. The conditions in the area are abnormally dry, with some spots being listed as in a moderate drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
For more information about fire-related updates and closures in the Boundary Waters area, click here.
