Day-use access permits for select BWCA points of entry in Cook County will be open starting Monday. Overnight camping permits for all BWCA points of entry are still canceled through at least next Wednesday.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office will be escorting property owners to and from their residences within the evacuation zones along and near the Fernberg Trail east of Ely.
Officials said any reopening will depend on factors including search-and-rescue capacity and ensuring public access does not interfere with ongoing wildfire operations.
The wildfires burning in northeast Minnesota have forced the evacuation of dozens of homes, cabins and resorts around Ely. For 94-year-old Donna Arbaugh, that’s interrupted a 71-year connection to her cabin.
Wilderness outfitters affected by the Boundary Waters Canoe Area fires are concerned about cutting staff and finding other forms of income. But they’re also advocating a limited reopening of the wilderness to boost the local economy.
The entire state is expected to be in the moderate air quality category. However, that could change in Minnesota’s Arrowhead region if fires worsen, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency said.
Duluth-based nature writer Stephanie Pearson has just published a new essay in Outside Magazine on what it feels like to see the Boundary Waters Canoe Area up in flames.
The wildfires scorching northeastern Minnesota now are especially challenging because they’re burning deeply into the ground. “Everything below your feet is on fire,” an expert tells MPR News.
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