Single Publication

Wood Lake Fire Update

Date: September 12, 2024 Size: 3 acres Containment: 0%

Cause: Under Investigation Start Date: September 10, 2024

Fire Information:
Inciweb page: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/mnsuf-wood-lake-wildfire

Closure Information
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Current Status and Resources: Firefighting resources made good progress yesterday and had good overnight relative humidity recovery and light winds that minimized fire spread. The fire is currently backing down off the ridge to Wood Lake. Ground resources are looking at suppression opportunities by strengthening containment lines and scouting for good natural landscape features such as drainages and wetlands to tie into as containment areas. Aircraft are being used to cool the fire and initiate suppression actions with the highest likelihood of success. The National Preparedness Level is current at 5-or the highest level; thus, firefighting suppression resources are limited.

Planned Actions: Resources work to strengthen containment lines with a variety of tools including utilizing pumps and hose lays, using natural features, and using backfiring through hand ignition when needed to reduce spotting potential near the perimeter or containment line. Ground conditions and access is difficult, and vegetation has a heavy spruce budworm infested balsam fir component. Resources are planning and preparing for potentially windier weather conditions later this week that could increase rate and intensity of fire spread.

Closures: The Superior National Forest is implementing Emergency Closure Order #09-09-24-07 for the public’s health and safety due to the Wood Lake fire within the vicinity of recreation areas beginning today, September 12, 2024.

The Closure Order restricts access into BWCAW Entry Point #26-Wood Lake, and a list of area lakes and portages and can be found on the Superior NF website under Closure Orders. For the safety of firefighting resources, no drones are allowed near the fire area and are illegal in federally designated wilderness areas.

Weather and Smoke: Thursday-mostly sunny with a high near 80. South winds 5 to 10 mph, gusting to 15 mph. Evening and night-patchy fog and partly cloudy with a low of 57. South easterly winds at 5 mph with gusts up to 15 mph. Friday-mostly sunny with a high near 80. Breezy south winds 5-15 mph with gusts up to 20 mph. Overall air quality in the Ely area will be MODERATE. Wildfire smoke from Canada is also present in the area. https://www.airnow.gov/and https://www.pca.state.mn.us/air-water-land-climate/air-quality-forecast

Fire Summary: On Tuesday, September 10, 2024, around 11:00 a.m. a fire was detected on an island of Wood Lake, which is located north of County Road 18, within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) of the Superior National Forest (NF). The fire is located in Township 64, Range 10, Section 26 on National Forest System land.