Wildfire activity intensifies across northern Minnesota and along the U.S.-Canada border
As of Sunday evening, there are 20 active wildfires throughout the Superior National Forest, with five inside the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW).
“Some wildfires experienced increased growth this afternoon due to higher winds, low vegetation moisture, and low relative humidity. Smoke columns are visible from nearby communities,” Superior National Forest officials said in a Sunday evening press release.
Areas across northern Minnesota, including in Cook County experienced temperatures in the 90s and red flag warnings on Sunday. An extreme heat warning is in effect until July 14 and a fire weather watch until July 13, according to the National Weather Service.
Quetico Provincial Park and Ontario also have numerous fires.
Smoke from a wildfire burning across the border in Canada was visible Sunday near Seagull Lake towards the end of the Gunflint Trail.
The wildfire, designated by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources as FOR028, began on the evening of July 8 and is approximately 23 acres in size. The fire is located on the Canadian side of Ottertrack Lake and Knife Lake along the U.S./Canada border.
On Sunday afternoon, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office received several calls about the visible smoke seen from Seagull Lake. The wildfire is approximately 8 miles from Seagull Lake and 12 miles from Seagull Canoe Outfitters.
Following several public smoke reports, Forest Service officials conducted a reconnaissance aerial flight to determine if the FOR028 wildfire was entirely within Canada and had not crossed into the BWCAW. At 6 p.m., the Forest Service confirmed the wildfire had not yet crossed the U.S./Canada border.
Forest Service officials said they are in communication with counterparts at Quetico Provincial Park and are “working closely with Cook County officials on taking the proper precautions.” The Forest Service will deploy firefighters to conduct suppression operations if the fire crosses over into the U.S.
Several other Canadian wildfires are burning within Quetico Provincial Park, the largest being FOR015, at approximately 4300 acres. Smoke from Canadian wildfires, likely mixed with smoke from wildfires burning across the Superior National Forest, blanketed Grand Marais on Sunday evening.
With the growing Canadian wildfires within the Quetico Provincial Park, the U.S. Forest Service expanded wildfire-related closures in the BWCAW, closing access to several lakes west of Saganaga Lake in the Gunflint Ranger District on July 12. See a map of the closures below. See a full list here.
In the western region of the BWCAW, U.S. Forest Service officials said one of the newest fires is the Dark Fire, which, as of Sunday afternoon, had merged with the Bear Trap Fire, located west of Crooked Lake. The Bear Trap Fire is approximately 700 acres, as of Sunday evening, according to Superior National Forest officials.
Nearby, the Thumb Fire, which was caused by lightning, has grown to approximately 600 acres.
With the growing wildfires, particularly the Sioux Fire at 288 acres, St. Louis County implemented the Ready-Set-Go notification system. “Residents should remain aware of current evacuation information and monitor official county communication channels for updates,” Superior National Forest officials said.
A campfire ban that went into effect at 12:01 a.m. on July 12 throughout the entire Superior National Forest, which includes northern Cook, Koochiching, Lake, and St. Louis Counties, remains in place.
The restrictions prohibit igniting, building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire or campfire, including charcoal grills and barbecues, as well as coal and wood-burning stoves. Gas and propane camp stoves are still permitted throughout the forest and within the BWCAW.
More information is below:
Superior National Forest website https://www.fs.usda.gov/r09/superior/alerts
Minnesota Incident Command System website at www.mnics.org
For statewide fire restriction information: https://mnics.org
Kalli Hawkins July 12, 2026
