Forest Service closes area of the BWCA due to wildfire

A large section of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness will be closed near the end of the Gunflint Trail due to the ongoing threat from an active wildfire.

The closure area will include an area west of the Gunflint Trail. Lakes and campsites included in the closure are Ogishkemuncie Lake, sections of Knife Lake, Ottertrack Lake, Jasper Lake, Kekekabic Lake, Spice Lake, Hanson Lake, and Ester Lake, among many others (see map above). Day-trip paddling and overnight camping is currently prohibited in the closure area. The Kekekabic Trail is also closed at this time. Approximately 80 campsites are off-limits in the BWCA as a result of the fire and subsequent closure area.

The closure went into effect Friday, June 16.

No entry points are closed as a result of the closure. The closure is specific to lakes, campsites, portages and other hiking trails in the area. However, there are many permits per day on Seagull and Saganaga, eight and 15, respectively.  As of Friday morning, all the permits for both of these entry points were completely booked. (see image below). Therefore the possibility for overcrowding on these lakes is possible in the days and potentially weeks ahead. The Forest Service told WTIP Friday during a live interview that the agency will monitor the situation on Seagull and Sag and see if overcrowding and lack of campsites available is an issue. The federal agency will respond accordingly, according to Tim Engrav, a public information officer for the Forest Service on Superior National Forest.

There is no timeline for how long the closure will remain in effect.

There are many permits per day on Seagull and Saganaga and the possibility for overcrowding on these lakes is a definite possibility in the days and potentially weeks ahead. The Forest Service told WTIP yesterday during a live interview that the agency will monitor the situation on Seagull and Sag and see if overcrowding and lack of campsites available is an issue. The federal agency will respond accordingly, they said.

The fire, known as the Spice Lake Fire, started late in the afternoon on Tuesday, June 13. The wildfire is located east of Knife and Kekekabic Lakes and southwest of Seagull Lake. It is approximately 10 miles west of the Gunflint Trail. The fire remains active but it has not grown significantly, or at all, during the past several days, according to the Forest Service. It remains a threat, however, as conditions are extremely dry in the BWCA at this time. The fire is also burning deep and hot into the earth, meaning hotspots will take time to put out, according to the Forest Service.

The cause of the fire has not been determined.

WTIP’s Joe Friedrichs spoke with Engrov June 16 about the closure area and what it means moving forward for the Forest Service, outfitters, and visitors to the BWCA. Audio below.

Joe Friedrichs June 15, 2023