Forest service announces fire closures in BWCAW

SUPERIOR NATIONAL FOREST— A rash of small fires, most likely sparked by lightning strikes associated with a storm front that passed through the area on July 6, has prompted the U.S. Forest Service to close three areas in the northwestern part of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

The closures, announced July 10 and set to take effect on July 11, will be in effect until further notice and will impact a total of 13 entry points into the wilderness, including some of the most heavily used entries in the region.

Current wildfire areas closed are: Bear Trap, Thumb and Wolfpack, all located in the LaCroix Ranger District in St. Louis County. Much of that area is experiencing significantly drier conditions than usual and forecasts of intense heat moving into the area over the weekend will only exacerbate the fire risk.

The entry points planned for closure include:

• Angleworm Lake (OP) #20
• Angleworm Trail (OH) #21
• Blandin Trail (OH) #11
• Herriman Trail (OH) #13
• Little Indian Sioux River North (OP) #14
• Little Vermilion Lake (OP, OM) #12
• Lac La Croix Only (OP, OM) #12A
• Moose/Portage River North (OP) #16
• Mudro Lake – Restricted (OP) #22
• Mudro Lake (OP) #23
• South Hegman Lake #77 (OP) #77
• Stuart River (OP) #19
• Sioux Hustler Trail (OH) #15  For maps and more information, visit: https://fs.usda.gov/r09/superior/alerts