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Serving Northern St. Louis County, Minnesota

Forest Service prescribed burn projects start near Ely

Almost 200 acres burned Tuesday south of airport

Keith Vandervort
Posted 5/23/18

ELY - The U.S. Forest Service’s plan to implement several prescribed fire projects on the Superior National Forest this spring is underway. On Tuesday, as many as 50 fire crew members were on hand …

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Forest Service prescribed burn projects start near Ely

Almost 200 acres burned Tuesday south of airport

Posted

ELY - The U.S. Forest Service’s plan to implement several prescribed fire projects on the Superior National Forest this spring is underway. On Tuesday, as many as 50 fire crew members were on hand south of the Ely Airport for the Kangas Stewardship prescribed burn.

“The actual date and time of ignition is dependent on many factors including fuel moisture, relative humidity, temperature, and wind,” said USFS Assistant Fire Management Officer Ben Roy as he drove on Highway 1 in the prescribed burn unit. “There is a lot of planning that goes into one of these burns, and careful monitoring of conditions during the operation is vital to our success.”

Two adjacent areas were burned on Tuesday afternoon, Kangas Unit 1 (134 acres and Kangas Unit 2 (111 acres), located just a couple miles south of the Ely Airport to the Birch Lake Campground access road.

The main objective for this operation was to prepare for planting by reducing slash and vegetation competition in units that were harvested for fuels treatment. “Fire will reduce tree encroachment and stimulate the growth of grasses and sedges. All of the Kangas units are part of a greater Ely area hazardous fuel reduction effort.” Roy said..

Ignition methods from the ground and from a helicopter were used to start the fires. Natural and/or constructed lines were used to control and hold the fires. Hose-lays supplied by water pumps or other water delivery equipment supplemented the holding actions where needed. Fire crews will monitor the prescribed fire until it is declared out.

Additional firefighting resources including a hotshot crew and a job corps crew assisted the Superior National Forest staff.