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The U.S. Forest Service is temporarily closing the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness as concerns grow over the multiple wildfires burning in northeastern Minnesota and an extremely hot, dry weather forecast into the upcoming week.

 on Monday, officials said they are closing all entry points effective 12:01 a.m. Tuesday “due to extreme weather conditions and numerous wildfires.”

Outfitters also were told of the closure. The Forest Service said it was canceling permits with entry dates through Friday, July 17.

It’s a rare move — but not unprecedented. The BWCA 

 due to multiple wildfires and tinder-dry conditions.

The Forest Service did not immediately announce Monday any evacuation plans for paddlers and hikers already in the vast, million-acre wilderness. In 2021, rangers used canoes and floatplanes to notify campers.

The news also set off a scramble for outfitters and people who had plans to enter the BWCA this week. 

“We have been trying to notify our customers. We’ve been calling people this morning, trying to notify them about their trip, so that they either don’t drive up too early for a trip that’s not happening, or we can hopefully try to rebook the trip,” Ginny Nelson, who co-owns Spirit of the Wilderness outfitters in Ely, told MPR News on Monday. “And many of the groups — we’ve been able to rebook the trip for a later date, which has been fantastic.”

Ahead of the full closure, large parts of the wilderness 

. As of Sunday night, there were five wildfires burning within the BWCA and at least 15 others elsewhere in the Superior National Forest — though the numbers were changing as some fires merged. There were also fires burning just across the Canadian border, in Ontario’s Quetico Provincial Park.

“Firefighters have been making good progress on the fires; however, increased temperatures, winds, lower humidity, and lack of recent precipitation is increasing fire behavior on some fires,” Superior National Forest officials 

The largest fire — known as the Thumb Fire — had burned about 500 acres at last report, in a remote part of the BWCAW northwest of Ely.

Another fire of particular concern — the Sioux Fire — had burned about 60 acres near the Echo Trail northwest of Ely.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Sunday mobilized the National Guard to support firefighting efforts in northern Minnesota. 

Some parts of northern St. Louis County, northwest of Ely and south of Crane Lake, have been 

 if fires spread. The county uses what it calls a “Ready, Set, Go” protocol for evacuations — and those areas were under “Ready” or “Set” status.

, at the end of the Gunflint Trail, amid concerns about a fire in Canada that has the potential to cross over the border.

The flurry of wildfires across the Superior National Forest followed storms on July 6 that produced little rain — but did produce lightning that sparked the fires.

A ban on campfires within the BWCA also remained in effect Monday.

Hot, dry weather is forecast to continue through the week. A red flag warning for heightened wildfire danger was in effect Monday for northeast Minnesota.

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Andrew Krueger

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Kirsti Marohn

The U.S. Forest Service is temporarily closing the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness as concerns grow over the multiple wildfires burning in northeastern Minnesota and an extremely hot, dry weather forecast into the upcoming week.


U.S. Forest Service

Watchduty.org

a forest fire is seen from an airplane with part of the plane wing visible in the photo

Forest Service closing Boundary Waters amid extreme heat, wildfires

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