Minnesota wildfires 50% contained; moderate air quality through Tuesday

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

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