Live updates: Wildfires in Minnesota

Recent rain and cooler weather have prompted officials in northeastern Minnesota to lift remaining restrictions on campfires — including in the Boundary Waters.

As of noon Monday, campfires are allowed again in open sections of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and other backcountry and remote areas in northeastern Minnesota. They were temporarily banned amid extreme fire danger earlier this summer.

The U.S. Forest Service said the decision to lift the restrictions was made in consultation with state and tribal agencies.

But authorities are cautioning campers to stay vigilant about campfire safety, given longer-term drought conditions across much of the region — and as we head into what’s traditionally a dry time of year across the north.

“While conditions have improved, we’re not done with fire danger this year, as fall is just around the corner,” Karen Harrison, a wildfire prevention specialist with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, said in a news release. “It’s important for people to continue following wildfire prevention tips such as proper campfire safety and using caution when doing outdoor activities that create heat or sparks.”

Those safety tips include never leaving a campfire unattended, and always drowning, stirring and feeling the ashes to make sure they are completely cold before leaving a campsite.

While the campfire ban has ended, parts of the BWCA remain closed due to ongoing wildfires north and northwest of Ely. About 600 firefighters and other personnel are still working to fully contain those fires.

Most of the Boundary Waters is back open to paddlers and hikers, after last month’s full closure of the wilderness.

Federal wildland fire officials have identified the crew member who died this week while working to contain the wildfires that have burned in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness for over a month.

Leslie R. Washington, 41, of Noorvik, Alaska, died Tuesday morning while responding to the Bear Trap Fire, which has burned about 30,000 acres in the Boundary Waters north of Ely, between the Echo Trail and the Canadian border.

Officials have not released details of how Washington died or how his death may have been connected to fighting the fires. The Eastern Area Complex Incident Management Team, which is overseeing the firefighting efforts, earlier said he died at an Ely hospital following a “medical emergency.”

The U.S. Department of the Interior said it is not releasing additional medical information at this time out of consideration for Washington’s family.

Washington was a wildland firefighter who worked for Scorched Earth Services, an Alaska Native-owned company that contracts with the federal government to provide firefighting crews to help with incidents around the country. Its firefighters come from communities across rural Alaska.

Washington was assigned to the company’s 20-person K-River 2 contract crew, which was supporting the response to the Bear Trap Fire. He was one of more than 1,000 crew members who have worked to contain the wildfires burning in northeastern Minnesota over the past month.

“We are heartbroken at the loss of a wildland firefighter who died while protecting others,” said U.S. Wildland Fire Service Chief Brian Fennessy. “We mourn alongside his families, loved ones, friends and crewmates as they face this profound loss.”

Scorched Earth Services confirmed Washington’s death in a social media post, saying “our hearts are with his family, the community of Noorvik, Alaska and the Inupiaq people of the Northwest Arctic.”

Firefighters and other first responders and law enforcement officials escorted Washington’s body in a vehicle procession from Ely to the Duluth area on Tuesday, and then to the Twin Cities.

The Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa also recognized Washington’s service.

“In so many ways, we understand this loss because our Fond du Lac Band and our neighboring Tribal Nations often send our wildfire crews across the country each year, and we share in the tragedies that impact fire families and Native communities wherever they occur,” the Band’s leadership said.

“We also hold deep respect for the many Native people who serve in wildfire response across the country, including members of our own Fond du Lac Band who have a history of supporting fires throughout the nation and continue to do so today.”

A crew member working to contain the wildfires burning in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness has died, according to officials leading the firefighting effort.

The Eastern Area Complex Incident Management Team, which is overseeing the fires under the command of the Superior National Forest and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, says an individual assigned to the fires had a “medical emergency” at about 10:40 a.m. Tuesday near Ely.

Fire personnel and emergency medical services transferred the person to a hospital, where the patient subsequently died.

Officials did not immediately share the cause of death or how it may have been connected to fighting the fires.

Fire officials say there will be an update when additional information is available and confirmed.

“Thank you for your patience and understanding. Our deepest condolences go out to the family and fellow firefighting community,” the U.S. Forest Service said.

As of Monday there were 761 personnel assigned to the wildfires burning in northern Minnesota. This is the first fatality reported since the fires began early last month.

Crews have steadily made progress containing the fires burning in and around the wilderness area, which have now scorched more than 65,000 acres of forest in the U.S., and an additional 8,600 acres in Canada.

The Camp Fire, burning about five miles north of Winton, is now 84 percent contained. Other fires burning northwest of Ely remain under 50 percent contained.

The Superior National Forest is opening more hiking trails and canoe entry points into the Boundary Water this week. About 1,600 campsites out of the 2,000 in the BWCA have now been reopened. 73 percent of the wilderness is open to visitor travel.

Small businesses in northeast Minnesota that cater to canoeists and other summer visitors are calling for economic relief after being decimated by wildfire-related losses, even though Gov. Tim Walz indicated Wednesday that a special session to provide aid to businesses affected by the Boundary Waters fires appeared unlikely.

“It is an extremely devastating blow, and I fear for some of the businesses in this town that they may not survive this,” said Tanner Spicer, owner of Voyageur North Outfitters in Ely, who had hoped for a special session.

More than 80 businesses and nonprofits in northeastern Minnesota sent a letter to Walz and state legislators Thursday, calling for a special session for fire relief, or for an economic relief package passed when the legislature reconvenes in January.

The letter asks for grants of up to $150,000 for businesses and groups that lost at least 20 percent of revenue between July and August when compared to last year.

“We can't and don't expect a comprehensive solution today,” said Ben Seaton of Hungry Jack Outfitters. “But our officials waiting for the perfect time, the perfect words, or the perfect solution only leaves the rest of us without those very things we need so very badly right now.”

The lightning-caused fires that ignited and spread through the area last month led the Forest Service to close the entire Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness for about two weeks. Resorts and other businesses that were in evacuated areas had to close, and the region was blanketed in unhealthy smoke for a couple days, keeping visitors and the money they usually spend in the area away.

Since then, cooler, wetter weather has helped firefighters gain some containment of the fires. Most evacuation orders have been lifted, and the U.S. Forest Service has reopened much of the wilderness.

But the tourism-focused businesses in Ely and elsewhere around the Boundary Waters earn nearly all their revenue for the year during the busy but short summer months. And many lost nearly all their income in July. Spicer said that’s money that cannot be made up.

“A lot of businesses lost hundreds of thousands of dollars already, and they need some relief,” said Republican State Rep. Roger Skraba, who represents Ely and the surrounding area in the state legislature.

Skraba, along with DFL State Sen. Grant Haushchild, have called for a special session to provide economic aid to businesses impacted by the fires. They also hosted two economic forums – one in Ely, a second along the Gunflint Trail– to hear from businesses impacted by the fires.

At the Grand Marais session, David Seaton, co-owner and operator of Hungry Jack Outfitters told the lawmakers he lost 98 percent of his revenue, calling the month of July, “disastrous.”

“Every one of our cabins [was] canceled. Every one of our outfitting groups could not do their trip,” Seaton said.

Cook County Commissioner Ann Sullivan said small businesses in the area are facing pushback from their insurance companies for claiming damages due to business interruption.

“At a time when cash flow has been turned off, the spigot is turned off, a lot of [small business owners] have large bills looming for canoe fleets, and also for merchandise and mortgages,” Sullivan said at the Aug. 1 discussion. “We heard from almost everyone that business interruption insurance coverage is either not available to them or is being denied. I have not heard one insurance company claim that they are going to support our businesses.”

Hauschild said they’re also targeting other sources of funding to provide businesses with some aid, from nonprofits and state agencies, including Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation and DEED, the Department of Employment and Economic Development. “We're just working on a holistic approach to provide relief,” he said.

The United Way of Northeastern Minnesota (UWNEMN) has raised more than $190,000 as of August 6 for individuals and small businesses that lost income as a result of the wildfires.

The agency plans to award grants ranging from $2,500 to $5,000 to help businesses with payroll assistance, rent, mortgage and other expenses. Individuals can apply for funding ranging from $500 to $1,500.

So far the United Way has received more than $300,000 in requests. “After weeks of critical revenue during what should have been these communities’ busiest season, we know recovery won't happen overnight,” said UWNEMN Executive Director Erin Shay. “For many, the financial impacts will continue long after these fires are out.”

Canoeists and other visitors have begun to return to northeast Minnesota. About two-thirds of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness have now been reopened.

But people continue to cancel trips for later in the summer and fall, said Spicer. “I was just on the phone with another customer who canceled their trip for September because they're afraid of the fires and the smoke, even though we haven't had smoke since day two of the fires,” he said.

Businesses continue to battle the perception that it’s unsafe or unhealthy to visit, Spicer added. “The news makes it doom and gloom all over the place, and people think we're burning to the ground, and it's not that way,” he said. “You wouldn't even know there's a fire going on.”

He encourages people to support Ely businesses on-line and by buying gift certificates. He also wants people to call their legislators to ask for economic aid for businesses harmed by the fires.

“The skies are clear. The smoke is gone. Our businesses are open,” said Hauschild. “We want people to plan late summer and early fall trips up to northern Minnesota.”

Gov. Tim Walz said Wednesday that he does not see a need to call a legislative special session to extend the state’s peacetime emergency declaration for the wildfires in the Boundary Waters.

Those fires, sparked by lightning, have burned tens of thousands of acres over the past month. But fire activity has been relatively calm in recent days, as hundreds of firefighters from across the country work to contain them.

At a briefing in St. Paul, Walz praised the work of those firefighters and other first responders who have helped battle the fires in the northern Minnesota wilderness.

“Great thanks and admiration to those on all levels of this fight, those firefighters who are out there — no loss of life, no significant injury, and protection of the vast majority of our infrastructure,” he said.

The peacetime emergency is set to expire next Tuesday.

Walz also said calling a special session to address economic relief for businesses affected by the fires, and by last month’s closure of the Boundary Waters wilderness, appears unlikely at this point.

“I think all of us … know the difficulty of coming to an agreement on a special session, especially at a time of political campaigns going on — probably makes it challenging,” he said. “But look, I want to let the folks up there know — if we can come to some type of agreement and we can get a package that can get forward, I’m certainly open to that.”

Walz said the Legislature should act as soon as it can, either in a special session or the next regular session, which begins in January.

“I would encourage the Legislature to right now, start working on a package of relief for the area. We certainly can get that ready … as we assess the damage over the time,” he said. “This is the peak earnings season for many of the folks up there in Ely and in the North Country, and we want to make sure we’re there to make them as whole as possible.”

The fire has burned more than 65,000 acres in the BWCA.

Gov. Tim Walz and other state leaders provided an update Wednesday morning on the wildfires burning in northeastern Minnesota.

Walz will speak along with officials from the Department of Public Safety, Minnesota National Guard and Department of Natural Resources.

The briefing comes as recent rainfall and cooler weather — along with the ongoing work of hundreds of firefighters — have brought containment of the Boundary Waters wildfires to more than 50 percent.

But officials caution that there is still a lot of work to be done, and the large fires will likely continue burning into the fall.

With fire activity relatively calm in recent days, more Boundary Waters wilderness entry points reopened Wednesday.

Forest Service officials say that while progress is being made in containing the wildfires burning in northeastern Minnesota, allowing them to reopen more of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, the fires will likely continue to burn long into the fall.

The incident command held a briefing on the wildfires burning in the Superior National Forest Tuesday to provide an update on the firefighting efforts. Officials said that fires have burned a total of 73,325 acres in both the U.S. and across the border in Canada, and the fires are now more than 50 percent contained.

“We’ve made good progress, have you know quite a bit of containment on these fires,” said Drew Stroberg, acting wildfire supervisor for the Superior National Forest. “But there are still about 378 miles of uncontained fire line out there, which is a lot of line.”

Stroberg said that more entry points into the Boundary Waters Area Canoe Wilderness near Ely will be reopening Wednesday morning. When they do, he said about two-thirds of the Boundary Waters will be open for day trips and some overnight camping in those areas. But he urges visitors to be diligent and responsible, and adhere to campfire restrictions, during their trips.

“These fires are not, they’re not out by any stretch of the imagination,” Stroberg said. “We believe that those areas people can go in and have a high quality recreational experience. We do not see any sort of imminent threat for the next several weeks from these fires in those areas.”

Rain on Monday night helped the containment efforts, according to incident meteorologist Mike Kistner of the National Weather Service.

“We did get a pretty good amount of rainfall across the fire,” said Kistner. “We saw generally about three-quarters to an inch of rain, and then even some localized amounts over an inch of rain.”

Kistner said that the rainfall won’t completely put the fires out, but it does buy some time for fire suppression and containment efforts.

“When we get this rainfall over the area, what it is going to do is we get a nice break, five to 10 days,” Kistner said at the briefing. “So we get a little bit of time where it kind of knocks things down.”

But Kistner and other fire officials warned that the persistent dryness in the region, which is in a state of severe drought, could allow fires to flare up again and spread quickly.

“Just three to five days of dry weather in the areas that are dry and droughty is enough for the fire activity to pick up,” said William Glesener, wildfire operations supervisor for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. “Because of the drought, inconsistent precipitation, and long stretches of dry, windy days, fires are staying active, even though they might not be showing a lot of external heat. They are very hard to extinguish and especially in the remote, rugged conditions that we have up here in the Boundary Waters.”

Class 3 fire restrictions are in effect in Lake, Cook and North St. Louis County. Glesener said those who are backpacking in remote areas and camping in the back country are not allowed to have campfires in those areas.

Some of the fires are burning in extremely remote wilderness areas, and firefighters are only able to get to them by canoe and float planes. Most of the forest service firefighters have come to Minnesota from other parts of the country and more than 400 of them have received special canoe-safety training so they can paddle into those areas to make fire containment lines.

The forest service said its firefighters rotate in and out on a two-week basis, and with several major wildfires burning in more densely populated areas out west, including in Spokane, Wash., there are some concerns that at least some of the personnel rotated out of battling the Minnesota fires won’t be replaced.

“There is a challenge for resources,” acknowledged Drew Stroberg of the forest service. “But our focus is here, and and on continuing to protect our communities, continuing to, you know, protect human life in this area.”

“Our commitment is that we're going to continue to work these fires, keep them as small as possible,” Stroberg added. “This is a marathon, though. These fires are going to be with us until snow falls.”

Across the country, the forest service said there are 99 uncontained large wildfires that are managed by 28 incident management teams and involving 29,000 personnel. About a thousand of those people are battling the Minnesota wildfires.

Officials managing the response to the wildfires burning in northeastern Minnesota will provide an update on firefighting efforts Tuesday afternoon

The media briefing in Ely is scheduled for 1 p.m. and it will be streamed live here.

More than 1,000 firefighters and support personnel are working to contain the lightning-caused fires that have been burning for weeks. They’ve made progress, and more Boundary Waters entry points are reopening this week.

But warm, windy, dry weather over the weekend led to an uptick in fire activity. Fire weather forecasters caution that northern Minnesota remains very dry — and above-normal wildfire potential is expected to last through late fall.

Overall, the wildfires have burned nearly 70,000 acres.

Dry, warm, windy conditions over the weekend led to an uptick in wildfire activity in northeastern Minnesota — with more gusty winds possible Monday.

But overall progress toward containing the fires is allowing the Superior National Forest to reopen more Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness entry points this week.

Forest Service officials said Monday that there was some growth over the weekend in the Thumb Fire burning near Loon Lake, along the international border northwest of Ely.

“Fire behavior has steadily increased in the last few days. Crews are being inserted near Loon Lake to begin constructing containment lines along the southwest corner of the fire,” officials said in a Monday morning update.

There was also a new fire detected over the weekend — the lightning-caused Finstad Fire, burning near Finstad Lake near Buyck. It was last reported to be just a tenth of an acre; crews were dropping water on the fire to try to keep it from spreading.

In addition to the potential to cause hot spots to flare up, officials said Monday’s forecast gusty and shifting winds “will pose a risk to firefighters with the threat of dead or fire-weakened trees falling along roadsides and within work areas.”

Overall, the wildfires sparked by lightning in and near the BWCAW in early July — along with the Little Knife fire that spread from Canada into the U.S. — have burned nearly 70,000 acres.

More than 1,000 firefighters and support personnel continue working to contain the wildfires.

The U.S. Forest Service announced several more campgrounds in northeast Minnesota and entry points to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness will reopen this week.

The entry points on the western portion of the forest on the Kawishiwi and LaCroix Ranger districts will open for overnight use on Wednesday.

That includes Trout, Slim and Wood lakes. Moose Lake will also reopen with no paddle travel beyond the Lewis Narrows and Upper Basswood Falls.

The Fall Lake and Fenske Lake campgrounds outside Ely will reopen Friday.

The Forest Service announced earlier this weekend entry points on the eastern portion of the wilderness will reopen Tuesday.

A full list of openings can be found on the Forest Service’s website.

The U.S. Forest Service will reopen more entry points into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness on Tuesday.

The Forest Service said it will reopen all water access entry points on the Gunflint Ranger District and Tofte Ranger District for overnight use.

That includes Magnetic Lake and Larch Creek entry points as well as overnight motor access for Saganaga and Seagull lakes.

Three entry points – Little Indian Sioux River North, Sioux-Hustler Trail and Stuart River – will remain closed through the end of the permit season on Sept. 30.

The Forest Service cautioned that restrictions could change based on wildfire behavior and patterns.

Small business owners met with state lawmakers, local officials and nonprofit leaders Friday to discuss the economic impacts the Northland wildfires have had on their tourism industry, and some of them already report “six-figure losses.”

The fires have been burning for almost a month, and a huge flare up that rapidly spread the fires on July 13 led the Forest Service to close the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness for nearly two weeks during the peak of the relatively short northern Minnesota tourism season.

The roundtable discussion was organized by the Cook County Chamber of Commerce, along with State Sen. Grant Hauschild (DFL-Hermantown) and state Rep. Roger Skraba (R-Ely). It was held in Grand Marais, at Hungry Jack Lodge on the Gunflint Trail.

Cook County Commissioner Ann Sullivan said small businesses in the area are facing pushback from their insurance companies for claiming damages due to business interruption. She said some businesses have experienced losses running in between “40 to 98 percent.”

“At a time when cash flow has been turned off, the spigot is turned off, a lot of [small business owners] have large bills looming for canoe fleets, and also for merchandise and mortgages,” Sullivan said. “We heard from almost everyone that business interruption insurance coverage is either not available to them or is being denied. I have not heard one insurance company claim that they are going to support our businesses.”

Many business owners said that media coverage of the wildfires and the closure of the BWCAW exacerbated the public perception of conditions in the region, leading to a decline in patronage.

David Seaton, co-owner and operator of Hungry Jack Outfitters said he suffered a 98 percent loss in revenue, calling the month of July, “disastrous.”

“Every one of our cabins [was] canceled. Every one of our outfitting groups could not do their trip,” Seaton said. “I took a reserve cancellation yesterday from a very nice man who was not coming because he was uncertain as to whether it would be safe to come back here.”

Seaton said some of the media coverage of the wildfires and fire conditions in northeast Minnesota make it seem as though the situation is more dangerous to visitors than it actually is. He wants “to make sure that people who are making public statements are good at it, and think about how it fits in [the] context of the world in which they're working, and what the effects those words are going to have.”

Gov. Tim Walz declared a peacetime emergency on July 12, which allowed the state to allocate resources to firefighting, clean-up and recovery efforts. State lawmakers would need to meet in a special session to extend the peacetime emergency beyond 30 days.

As of Friday, it’s uncertain if Walz plans to extend the emergency declaration beyond Aug. 11, which is the 30th day of his initial declaration.

In addition to extending the peacetime emergency, the special session could also address the economic impact of the wildfires in and around the BWCAW, and lawmakers have already been discussing what an economic recovery package would look like.

Sen. Hauschild said that northeast Minnesota needs state aid, but also implored visitors to consider rebooking their cancelled trips in September and to help support the tourism economy as it recovers.

“I’m going to be advocating very strongly for a relief package,” Hauschild said. “It needs to be focused on these businesses who have been impacted. I don’t know if a special session will ultimately be needed due to that peacetime emergency, but if it is, we’re going to be ready to go.”

Rep. Skraba agrees that a relief package is needed, but he also reminded the public that it takes a lot of work to get something like that passed.

“It’s difficult. …it doesn’t just happen,” Skraba said. “There’s a lot of work to get what we want to get done, and it works both sides. …if there is a special session, we’re in favor. We will bring a bill to try to get some relief. But just to get one takes a lot. I’m hoping we do.”

The U.S. Forest Service reported Friday that the wildfires have scorched nearly 73,000 acres in the U.S. and Canada.

The agency said more than 1,000 personnel are working on battling the fires, which are about 60 percent contained.

Watching for lightning

Storms that rolled through the area overnight brought lightning and pockets of heavy rain (up to 0.79 inches) to the western and northern parts of the fire, according to the Forest Service.

A cold front following the storms will bring in drier and cooler weather for the next few days, which authorities said should result in subdued fire activity.

Andy Pascarella with the U.S. Forest Service said in an update Friday morning that crews will be ready for initial attack on any new lightning strike fires that may have started near the Chub Fire, which is burning southwest of Crane Lake.

“[There was] some rain across the area over the last 24 hours, but a lot of lightning,” he said. “That rain was a little bit sparse in areas and heavier in other areas, so they'll be out there in case one of those fires gets going.”

Pascarella said crews are also standing by watching for any fires that may have started from lightning strikes in the vicinity of the Camp Fire, which is burning northeast of Ely. That fire is now 69 percent contained.

Status of fire containment efforts

U.S. Forest Service officials said Friday that the largest fire, the Bear Trap fire, is now 38 percent contained. It’s located south of Lac La Croix, about 20 miles north of Ely, and has burned nearly 38,000 acres in the U.S. and Canada.

Firefighters are working to build containment lines near Gull Lake, along the western edge of an outgrowth from the main fire.

The Little Knife Fire, which has burned nearly 5,000 acres in an area near the end of the Gunflint Trail, is now 70 percent contained, according to the Forest Service.

Firefighters are patrolling on the southwest portion of the fire, “using drones to find pockets of heat, and mopping up to secure the fire line,” while “crews on the northeast side of the fire are using natural features, such as lakes and streams, and improving portage trails for indirect containment lines.”

The improvements in fire suppression and containment efforts have allowed the Forest Service to open up more areas of the BWCAW to paddlers and to overnight camping.

As of Friday, several popular lakes near the end of the Gunflint trail opened up for day trips into the wilderness area, which is welcome news to the outfitters, resorts and other businesses that have been hurting since the fires closed the BWCA.

Economic impacts

Sen. Grant Hauschild, DFL-Hermantown, Rep. Roger Skraba, R-Ely, the Cook County Chamber of Commerce and others partners are gathering Friday to discuss the economic impact of wildfires on tourism and other industries on the Gunflint Trail in Grand Marais

Meanwhile, the advocacy group Friends of the Boundary Waters has announced its holding a bike ride Aug. 22 to support communities affected by wildfires burning in northeastern Minnesota. The route goes from Ely to Soudan and back, with long and short course options available.

The group said proceeds from the event will go to Ely-area nonprofits and the Mesabi Trail Association.

Air quality

The wildfires burning in northeastern Minnesota made the air smoky in recent weeks, but not Friday.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency forecasts moderate to good air quality across the state Friday.

But wildfire smoke from much farther away will make an impact in the state. The agency said smoke from fires across the Pacific Northwest will continue to affect southern and central Minnesota, where it expects air quality conditions will be "moderate."

The MPCA forecasts air quality in northern Minnesota, north of the low and trailing cold front, in the "green" or "good" zone Friday.

The agency said air quality in most of the state will be good over the weekend.

Small businesses impacted by the recent wildfires in and around Ely and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area may be eligible for some financial assistance that is being provided by the United Way of Northeastern Minnesota.

The Ely Wildfire Recovery Fund was set up to allow donors to designate their gifts to small businesses that have lost revenue due to the BWCAW’s closure and fire related evacuations.

Small business owners can begin applying for the aid Friday, July 31, and all local organizations actively responding to the wildfires are eligible to request funding, too.

“Small businesses and individuals are being affected by the economic impacts of closures and diminished foot traffic in the area, so we are springing to action with support from all over the state,” said Katy Lofquist, communications director for UWNEM. “This is an area that is near and dear [to] so many hearts, and it really is an honor to work here, live here, [and] work for an area that means so much to so many people.”

UWNEMN was asked by a number of community members and local organizations to establish the fund. Burntside Lake Association President Martie Sparks said in a news release that he hopes others will consider donating.

“Our businesses are the heart of this community,” Sparks said, “and their recovery is essential to the future of Ely.”

Donors who want to support the fund can also designate their gift to the “Area(s) of Greatest Need.” These donations may be allocated to small businesses, fire departments, nonprofits, clean-up efforts, and for other community purposes in the Ely area. The fund could also be used to assist individual local residents should their homes be affected by the fires.

To kickstart fundraising and maximize the amount of money available for local small businesses, some anonymous donors have committed a “1 for 2” match for the Ely Wildfire Recovery Fund. They’ll kick in one additional dollar for every $2 donated, up to a total of $35,000.

“We’re in this together,” Lofquist said. “People are feeling the support from across the state. …Ely is open. Northeastern Minnesota is open. You can come, check out the galleries, go to the restaurants, shop in the great local stores. The region is still open. Come stay, come visit.”

Support and help continue

Other communities that UWNEMN serves are also being affected or are at-risk because of the wildfires. The nonprofit is still fundraising through its Crisis Disaster Recovery fund. Nearly $50,000 has been raised for the fund already, with individual donations ranging from one dollar to $5,000. Boston Scientific, NewRange Copper Nickel, Sota Clothing, and Twin Metals Minnesota, are among the bigger corporations that have donated to the fund.

Some of the money has been used to buy air purifiers for seniors living in the Ely area.

If you want to help:

To support either of the recovery funds through the United Way of Northeast Minnesota. Donations can be mailed directly to 608 East Drive, Chisholm, MN 55719. Checks can also be written to “United Way of NE MN,” and the requested purpose for the money must be included in writing.

As firefighters continue to make progress containing several large wildfires burning in and around the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, the U.S. Forest Service is reopening additional areas of the wilderness to canoeists and boaters.

Several popular lakes will be open for day use beginning Friday, July 31, including Moose Lake and the Number Chain of Lakes near Ely, Alice, Insula and Snowbank Lakes, and Saganaga and Seagull Lakes at the end of the Gunflint Trail.

That follows a move to reopen about 40 percent of the wilderness to overnight camping in the eastern and central portions of the Boundary Waters on July 30.

The Forest Service says the additional reopenings “follow continued successful wildfire suppression and recent variable precipitation that has helped moderate wildfire activity in parts of the BWCAW.”

The agency said it expects to announce additional reopening updates later this week, and emphasized that protecting the public and firefighters remains the Forest Service’s highest priority.

Several areas remain closed to all travel in the wilderness, concentrated mainly in the area north and west of Ely, north of the Echo Trail to the Canadian border. That’s the area where most of the major wildfires are continuing to burn.

The other major closure area is due to the Little Knife Fire, which burned across the Canadian border about eight miles west of the end of the Gunflint Trail.

About 1,200 firefighters continue to battle the blazes, which were started by multiple lightning strikes about a month ago. The fires were small and largely contained until July 13, when extremely hot temperatures and driving winds fanned the flames and caused the fires to spread several miles in a day. The entire Boundary Waters was closed the following day.

Since then, firefighters have made steady progress slowing the fires, aided by cooler temperatures and consistent rainfall. The fires are now more than 50 percent contained.

The Superior National Forest is also reopening several recreation areas on July 31 outside the Boundary Waters, including biking, camping and hiking sites in the Kawishiwi and LaCroix Ranger Districts.

After a closure that has stretched for more than two weeks due to several major wildfires that continue to burn in northeast Minnesota, canoes are once again gliding across lakes and rivers in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

The U.S. Forest Service reopened a portion of the BWCA to day use access on Monday. On Thursday, the agency began allowing overnight access for 41 entry points in the central and eastern areas of the wilderness, covering about 40 percent of the one million acres in the Boundary Waters.

"My dream has been to always go out on a northern Minnesota lake and catch a walleye,” said Jeff Zortman this week, while he was launching a canoe on Sawbill Lake, about 25 miles north of Tofte on the North Shore. Zortman and his family drove all the way from Kansas to visit the Boundary Waters.

Pat Moline of Maple Grove had planned to depart Tuesday on a multi-day trip into the Boundary Waters. Instead, after the Forest Service opened part of the wilderness to day visitors on Monday, he and four of his friends and extended family members packed up for a day trip to Alton Lake.

"There's a campsite that's rated as five stars, just on the other side of the short portage, and we're going to have lunch, put our camp chairs up, put up a tarp, and just relax,” said Moline. “It is gorgeous.”

The sound of canoe paddles dipping into the still waters was music to the ears of Clare Shirley, who along with her husband, Dan, owns Sawbill Canoe Outfitters.

"Now that day trips are an option, I'd say we went from canceling 100 percent of our reservations coming up for the week to canceling about 50 of those,” Shirley said.

And now that overnight trips are once again leaving from Sawbill Lake, business is beginning to return to normal.

"It feels really good to see people around,” said Shirley, who grew up at the end of the Sawbill Trail and is the third generation in her family to run the outfitter. She said it feels good to be able to focus again on the “normal” work of helping prepare customers for canoe trips.

“We really love what we do. So we're excited to get back to work."

The Boundary Waters closure has been a huge blow to the many resorts and outfitters surrounding the wilderness that cater to the 150,000 people who visit the BWCA every year. Shirley estimates they lost 80 percent of their business over the past two weeks, during the busiest time of the year. She and other outfitters make a big chunk of their money between mid-July and mid-August.

The closure was put in place on July 14, the day after scorching temperatures and driving winds pushed wildfires several miles across the Boundary Waters, forcing thousands of canoeists to leave the wilderness.

Since then, more than 1,000 firefighters have arrived in northeast Minnesota from other parts of the country to fight the fires. Over the past couple of weeks, aided by frequent rains and cooler temperatures, they’ve slowly begun to gain the upper hand. The wildfires are now more than 50 percent contained.

But the fires are still burning in some areas on the forest floor, and officials caution that hotter weather and strong winds could still reignite the flames.

The areas of the Boundary Waters that have reopened are far away from the fires, which are mostly burning west and north of Ely. A large fire has also burned across the border from Canada west of the end of the Gunflint Trail.

But the partial reopening doesn't offer much help to the outfitters who serve canoeists in those parts of the wilderness that remain closed.

"The amount of files we're looking at, sitting here for cancellations, makes you a little sick, to be honest,” said Matt Ritter, who along with his wife, Cassidy, runs Voyageur Canoe Outfitters at the end of the Gunflint Trail.

Over the past two weeks, the business has gotten creative to bring in some income. For the first time, they set up an online store to sell items from their retail shop. Ritter said four staff members have processed and shipped about 300 orders so far.

The business is also housing and feeding firefighters in what otherwise would be vacant cabins. They even outfit elite firefighting hotshot crews from as far away as Arizona who have been paddling out to battle the Little Knife Fire. Ritter said his staff gave about 65 firefighters a crash course in paddling and portaging.

“You have to adapt,” he said. “Like, how are we going to have some income? And how are we going to take care of these firefighters?”

The government contracts have been a huge help, Ritter said. But it won’t cover what he’s losing from outfitting campers.

It’s a similar story outside Ely, where Nicole and Frank Udovich own the historic Kawishiwi Lodge and Outfitters on Lake One, on the edge of the Boundary Waters, at the end of the Fernberg Road.

The Udoviches were just able to return to the resort on Sunday evening when the Lake County evacuation order was lifted. But even though the lodge is open, guests aren’t allowed to canoe on the lake.

“I’m having a hard time selling anybody on coming to our resort without day use,” said Nicole Udovich. She said guests are also wary with the area still in the “Set” status of the Ready-Set-Go evacuation protocol

“They see ‘Set,’ and they don't necessarily want to venture up here, having to keep their cars packed, ready to go at a moment's notice. So that's a really tricky situation.”

Udovich said their lodge is nearly 20 miles from the nearest fire. And she feels protected by all the work firefighters did clearing brush and thinning the forest along the Fernberg Road. So it’s painful not to be able to access the Boundary Waters, which are right out their back door.

“We’ve got 20 docks situated in that bay, and it's really hard to look out at the blue skies, clear air, and not be ready to go just yet.”

The Forest Service says it's monitoring conditions daily to look for opportunities to open up more of the Boundary Waters.

The agency recently moved to allow campfires at developed sites outside the Boundary Waters. It also reopened the campground at the end of the Gunflint Trail.

But outfitters are pushing the agency to allow more day use permits for paddling into the Boundary Waters in areas still closed. Ritter also is hoping for additional overnight trips soon. He wants officials to think creatively, perhaps limiting how far canoeists could paddle, or creating check-in stations.

If two popular entry points into Seagull and Saganaga Lakes at the end of the Gunflint Trail aren’t reopened, Ritter said, “the rest of our summer would be shot."

After making significant progress in containing the wildfires in and around the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness that have been burning for more than three weeks now, U.S. Forest Service rangers were able to recover gear left behind by canoeists and campers who had to flee a rapidly spreading wildfire earlier this month.

On July 13, the extremely hot and dry weather and strong winds blew up the Camp Fire, which quickly flared up and raced more than 4.5 miles.

Campers and canoeists on Pipestone Bay, on the west end of Basswood Lake northeast of Ely, had to be evacuated in a hurry, leaving behind canoes, food, fishing poles and other gear.

Last Sunday, Superior National Forest wilderness rangers returned to Pipestone Bay to assess fire damage to campsites. They also recovered the abandoned gear, including nine canoes and numerous packs of food and other equipment.

The items were transported by canoe out of the wilderness area to be returned to their owners.

Two summer camps in northern Minnesota are resuming activities as wildfire conditions improve.

YMCA’s Camp Widjiwagan and Camp du Nord, both located near Ely, evacuated campers earlier this month as wildfires burned in and around the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The camps provide wilderness adventure and environmental education to young people and families.

Both camps were evacuated July 15 as a precaution after the area reached the “Set” evacuation status on the “Ready, Set, Go” continuum. Emergency management officials downgraded the area’s status back to “Ready” this week, due to recent rains and fire crews making progress in containing the fires.

In a Facebook post, Camp Du Nord said it will reopen the camp beginning Sunday and welcome campers back next week, while continuing to closely monitor wildfire activity and changing conditions.

Ben Hoffman, executive director of Camp Widjiwagan, said it will reopen on Friday to hold a closing ceremony for young people who’ve been traveling in the Arctic Circle for the last 39 days.

“Staff are feeling positive and excited to bring campers back to camp on Monday,” Hoffman said. “It's a big part of our tradition to bring our Arctic campers home to do a large celebration, and I think that has been really energizing to our team.”

Camp Widjiwagan will reopen for regular programs starting Monday, when 80 to 90 campers on about 16 different trips will return, Hoffman said.

“We feel confident reopening and maintaining our robust evacuation plans should conditions change,” he said.

Hoffman said he shares a feeling of loss and disappointment for those families whose trips were canceled during the closure. The camp tried to find openings for campers later in the summer or in other YMCA programs when possible, and offered a 50 percent refund to all families, he said.

During the closure, Hoffman said the camp launched trips from a different starting point, Camp Ihduhapiu in Loretto, with campers then going to places other than the BWCA.

“So we haven't inherently canceled everything, which has been welcomed,” Hoffman said.

Despite its reopening, Camp Widjiwagan won’t return entirely to normal, Hoffman said. Some historic wooden canoes are being kept off site, and other artifacts will remain in cargo trailers ready to be moved if needed.

“We’re basically getting into a place that if we do need to make the shift to whatever it might be, we've got the plans in place and the staff that have experienced it, and that we're ready,” Hoffman said.

As wildfire conditions in northeastern Minnesota continue to improve due to some much-needed rain, some of the restrictions on recreational activities and orders for evacuation are easing.

The Superior National Forest lifted a campfire ban on Wednesday for portions of the forest outside of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

Campfires will be allowed only in developed recreation areas and rustic recreation campgrounds in certain areas of the national forest. All campfires continue to be prohibited within the BWCA and in backcountry campsites.

Forest officials said fire danger across northeastern Minnesota remains moderate to high, so responsible campfire use is important. Campfires are only allowed within designated metal fire rings provided by the Forest Service.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources also is allowing campfires at state park campgrounds in Cook, Lake and northern St. Louis counties beginning Wednesday. Campfires are still not allowed at backpack and boat-in campsites in state parks and in state forest campgrounds in those counties.

The DNR advises people who choose to have a campfire to keep it small, always supervise it and make sure it’s cool to the touch before walking away.

Evacuation zones updated

As of Wednesday morning, fire officials have the following areas under “Go” and “Ready” status:

-Lake County: The following zones are evacuated (“GO!” status): BWCAW Bald Eagle Lake, BWCAW Clear Lake, BWCAW Perent Lake, BWCAW Squirrel Islands, North Fall Lake-1A, North BWCAW and South BWCAW. Cloquet Line Road reopened July 28.

-St. Louis County: The following zone is evacuated (“GO!” status): SL-100. Zones SL-200 and SL-201 have been reduced to “SET” status as of July 28. Echo Trail from North Arm Road to Forest Road 200 is closed from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily for the safety of firefighters and equipment still working. Forest Road 199 is also closed while firefighters work in the area.

-Cook County: Gunflint District 1 is in “READY” status, so all evacuation orders in Cook County have been lifted.

Campground reopening

The Superior National Forest also is reopening Trails End Campground at the end of the Gunflint Trail in Cook County on Wednesday. The campground has been closed since July 15.

Forest officials say recent rain has reduced fire activity, and there has been no recent wildfire spread around the campground. Firefighters continue working to contain the Little Knife Fire, and it is now 49 percent contained.

The Bear Trap fire, which is the biggest, having burned nearly 38,000 acres about 20 miles north of Ely, is now 39 percent contained.

All the other fires that continue to burn in the area are at least 42 percent contained, according to the Forest Service, with some of the smaller fires now declared as being out.

BWCA begins to reopen

Some parts of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness will reopen for overnight travel on Thursday. The U.S. Forest Service said 41 entry points in the central and eastern portions of the wilderness will reopen for day and overnight use.

Air quality outlook for Minnesota

Air quality in the yellow (moderate) category is expected statewide Wednesday, according to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Moderate surface smoke is expected to impact Minnesota through Thursday. Denser smoke aloft, much of it from wildfires burning in the western U.S. and Canada, will continue blanketing the region, producing hazy skies.

Temperatures will be near 90 degrees across much of Minnesota on Wednesday and Thursday. Rain could bring some improved air quality Friday, followed by more seasonable temperatures.

• Air quality maps and forecasts from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Wildfires in northeastern Minnesota are more than 50 percent contained, authorities say. As firefighters finish that work, they are also looking to prevent new fires.

“We're putting forth a lot of effort to get out there and look for those key areas that could pose additional threats in the future. And so there's a lot of focus towards that now,” said Shane Sturgill, a leader of the federal response to the Minnesota fires.

Northeastern Minnesota’s wildfire season likely won’t end this year until the snow flies, he said.

Wildfire updates as of Tuesday afternoon

• Total acreage of the fires is at 64,054 acres in the U.S. with another 8,443 acres in Canada.

• Temporary flight restrictions are in place over certain portions of the fire area, officials said. A permanent flight restriction is over the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

• Recent rain and reduced fire activity are giving firefighters time to dig containment lines and lay hoses closer to the fires. Nearly 1,000 people are helping in the fight now.

BWCA begins to reopen

Boundary Waters Canoe Are Wilderness outfitters and visitors are getting ready for some overnight permits to resume later this week.

The U.S. Forest Service says 41 BWCA wilderness entry points will reopen for overnight camping starting Thursday. Those entry points are in parts of Lake and Cook counties, well away from where the ongoing wildfires are burning.

Officials made the move after recent weather helped keep fire activity to a minimum. A campfire ban remains in place.

Day-use permits for those same entry points resumed earlier this week.

Evacuation zones updated

As of Tuesday afternoon, fire officials have the following areas under “Go” and “Ready” status:

• Lake County: The following zones are evacuated (“G0” status): BWCAW Bald Eagle Lake, BWCAW Clear Lake, BWCAW Perent Lake, BWCAW Squirrel Islands, North Fall Lake-1, North BWCAW and South BWCAW. A road closure is located just north of the Cedar Lake boat access with no traffic allowed beyond that point.

• St. Louis County: The following zones are evacuated (“Go” status): SL-100 along Echo Trail, SL-200 and SL-201 along the Cloquet Line. Echo Trail from North Arm Road to Forest Road 841 (Echo Lake boat access) will close from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily for the safety of firefighters and equipment still working.

• Cook County: The following zone is evacuated (“Go” status): BWCA West. Gunflint District 1 is in “Ready” status. BWCA West status will be updated to coincide with Forest Service access to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

• County evacuation maps: St. Louis County's Wildfire Evacuation | Lake County's Wildfire Evacuation | Cook County's Evacuation

• Closures and fire restrictions: available on the Superior National Forest alerts page.

Fire weather outlook for Minnesota

Above-average temperatures in the mid-80s will persist for the next few days, but moderate humidity levels combined with recent rainfall should keep fire behavior at a minimum, officials said.

Overnight thunderstorms from Sunday into Monday resulted in about 800 detected lightning flashes over the fire areas, with about 40 percent striking the ground.

Officials said extra patrols are planned to monitor the region and quickly respond to any new fire starts.

Air quality outlook for Minnesota

Air quality in the yellow (moderate) category is expected statewide Tuesday, according to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Moderate surface smoke is expected to affect Minnesota through Wednesday and likely through the end of the week.

• Air quality maps and forecasts from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency