With Boundary Waters wildfires nearly contained, national firefighting team prepares to leave Minnesota
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Two months after lightning sparked wildfires that grew to cover tens of thousands of acres in the Boundary Waters, the national team managing firefighting efforts is ending its work in Minnesota.
On Monday, command of the firefighting effort will be transferred back to the Superior National Forest and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
That’s as recent rain has kept fire activity to a minimum. As of Friday, the remaining large wildfires were listed at 97 percent contained.
Crews have spent time using boats and helicopters to haul thousands of pounds of firefighting equipment and supplies back out of the wilderness. They’ve also spent time creating a fuel break along the Echo Trail, as a way to help contain future wildfires.
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Authorities said that Friday “will be the first day since early July that no operations are needed in and around the BWCAW. Forest Service personnel will continue to patrol impacted areas by ground and air.”
Given the size of the wildfires, authorities have previously said that they expect them to continue smoldering until there’s snow on the ground.
Nickie Johnny, incident commander with the national team, shared a message to Ely and surrounding communities in a social media video posted Friday, as the team prepared to leave Minnesota.
“We are the last team here, and have done our best to close out all the land-use agreements and repair all the public lands that we have used. As you have already noticed, there are fewer and fewer firefighters, equipment and vehicles around the towns,” Johnny said. “We’d like to thank the towns of Ely, Cook, Winton, Crane Lake and Buyck, and all the other surrounding communities, for your support and your patience.”
As of Friday, the number of firefighters and support personnel working on the fires had dropped to fewer than 200 — down from well over 1,000 earlier this summer.
Most of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is back open to visitors, after the fires forced a temporary closure in July. The Superior National Forest said some additional entry points near Ely and Crane Lake will reopen next week.
