Live Updates: Wildfires and response across Superior National Forest and BWCAW

As of Tuesday afternoon, there are 17 active wildfires throughout the Superior National Forest, with five inside the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW). Quetico Provincial Park and Ontario also have numerous fires. Local authorities are monitoring a Canadian wildfire, called FOR028, burning on the Canadian side of Ottertrack and Knife lakes along the U.S.-Canada border.

Due to extreme weather conditions and numerous wildfires burning within the Superior National Forest and BWCAW, the Forest Service closed public access to the BWCAW to protect the health and safety of visitors and firefighters.

WTIP will continue to update this post with more information regarding the wildfires affecting Superior National Forest and the Arrowhead region.

Share reports and photos of local wildfire activity by reaching out to news@wtip.org

Wildfire Growth Update – Tuesday afternoon

3 p.m.

The growth of three wildfires grew significantly on Tuesday amid dry conditions and red flag warnings.

• Camp Fire
  • Location: On the border of Lake & St. Louis County – northeast of Ely and Winton
  • Size: 2,200 acres
• Thumb Fire
  • Location: Between Thumb and Contentment Lake in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
  • Size: Nearly 12,327 acres
• Dark Fire / Bear Trap Fire
  • Location: North of Ely North of Sunday Lake in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
  • Size: 12,896 acres

Photos from Hungry Jack Lake

WTIP listener Dennis Chick submitted photos from last night and this morning on Hungry Jack Lake.

National Weather Service extends Air Quality Alert

2:33 p.m.

The National Weather Service has extended the Air Quality Alert for Minnesota to 11 a.m. on Friday. Conditions are expected to be “Hazardous” for much of the Arrowhead region.

According to AirGov, when the forecast is hazardous, everyone should stay indoors and reduce activity levels.

WTIP Speaks with WELY Radio in Ely, Minn. for update on wildfire conditions

U.S. Forest Service Wildfire Update – Two U.S. wildfires cross into Canada

2:10 p.m.

Currently, there are 17 active wildfires within the Superior National Forest, with 3 active fires inside the BWCAW and one new fire that began on Monday outside the BWCAW. On Monday, two of the fires crossed the International Border–the Bear Trap Fire and the Thumb Fire. The forest is coordinating with Canadian Authorities.

Video from Loon and Seagull Lake as wildfire smoke rolls in

2:05 p.m.

Listener Ryan Coleman of d3photography provided WTIP with the following video.

Sheriff’s Office raises evacuation designation to ‘Set’ for end of Gunflint Trail

1:15 p.m.

The Cook County Sheriff’s Office raised the evacuation designation to ‘Set’ at 1 p.m. Tuesday for residents and visitors near the end of the Gunflint Trail after a wildfire burning along the U.S.-Canada border increased in size.

An approximately 2,500-acre wildfire, called FOR028, is burning on the Canadian side of Ottertrack and Knife lakes along the U.S.-Canada border.

U.S. Forest Service personnel flew over the fire at around 10 a.m. on Tuesday and estimated the fire to be about 2,500 acres. As of 10 a.m. the wildfire had not crossed over to the U.S. side of the border, but was burning near the west side of the Monument Portage and near Swamp Lake.

The Forest Service said it expects the wildfire has crossed the border as of Tuesday afternoon, according to an announcement from the Cook County Sheriff’s Office.

Gunflint District Ranger Kyle Stover said during a wildfire update at the July 14 Cook County Board of Commissioners meeting that the area across the U.S. border is vulnerable for wildfires to expand rapidly.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve had any history in there,” Stover said. “It is in an area that was affected by the ’99 blowdown with balsam fir that came up underneath.”

Stover said that farther east towards the end of the Gunflint Trail, there is the Cavity Lake burn scar that hasn’t burned since 2006.

The Gunflint Trail Volunteer Fire Department is staging equipment and personnel at the Gunflint Trail Fire Halls as of Tuesday afternoon.

The Sheriff’s Office is advising residents and visitors to prepare to leave their home and property at a moment’s notice.

Stay updated on Know Your Zone: https://cookcountymn.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=2f0cb0740663455e9fe5c47b7fdb2379

Read more in a WTIP article: https://wtip.org/sheriffs-office-raises-evacuation-designation-to-set-for-end-of-gunflint-trail/

Gunflint District Ranger Kyle Stover provides a wildfire update

Update provided to Cook County Board of Commissioners on July 14 about ongoing fire monitoring efforts within Cook County and an update on the Canadian FOR028 wildfire

Photos of wildfire smoke at Seagull Lake

12:23 p.m.

WTIP listener, Doug Turner, captured the following image of the wildfire smoke over Seagull Lake on Monday

Wildfires, air quality update

12:10 p.m.

Wildfires continue to burn across the Superior National Forest, prompting the first evacuation orders in Lake and St. Louis counties. Meanwhile, the National Weather Service has extended a Red Flag Warning until 9 p.m. Tuesday because of dry, windy conditions, and air quality alerts remain in effect across much of northeastern Minnesota.

During a July 13 press briefing, U.S. Forest Service officials identified two fires as particular concerns. The Camp Fire, north of Ely, was most recently reported at 2,127 acres. The FOR028 Fire, burning just across the Canadian border on Ottertrack Lake, was reported at 1,976 acres.

“In all likelihood, the only thing that’s going to put those out fully is snow,” Drew Stroberg, deputy forest supervisor at the U.S. Forest Service, said during the Monday press conference. “These things will likely be burning in some way, shape, or form until then. So when we reduce the size of the closure area, I do expect that we will have some level of closure in effect around those fires for the duration of the season.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office, in coordination with the U.S. Forest Service, issued evacuation orders for multiple zones in the northern part of the county. An evacuation center has been established in Babbitt.

In St. Louis County, one evacuation zone was upgraded to “Evacuate” status at 11 p.m. Monday.

In Cook County, only one zone has received a Ready, Set, Go notification. The End of the Trail zone, which includes portions of Saganaga and Seagull lakes, was placed under “Ready” status at 7:36 p.m. Monday.

Cook County evacuation information is available through the county’s emergency management map.

An air quality alert has also been issued for Cook County as shifting winds are expected to carry wildfire smoke across much of the county and the Arrowhead region.

The National Weather Service released a weather model showing near-surface smoke trends through the remainder of Tuesday and into Tuesday night.

Gunflint Trail residents urged to prepare

As wildfire activity continues across northeastern Minnesota and just north of the U.S.-Canada border, Cook County officials are urging residents and property owners to be prepared.

The wildfire produced a visible smoke plume Sunday that could be seen from the Seagull Lake area, approximately 10 miles away, towards the end of the Gunflint Trail.

On Sunday evening, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office placed an area near the end of the Gunflint Trail under a “Ready” evacuation designation on the county’s ‘Know Your Zone’ website as a precaution should the wildfire cross the U.S.-Canada border.

“We want to make sure that residents are aware that this fire is not too far away from the end of the trail,” said Cook County Sheriff Ben Hallberg.

Read a WTIP article here: https://wtip.org/authorities-encourage-wildfire-preparedness-along-gunflint-trail-and-across-the-county/

Wildfire activity intensifies

Read a WTIP article from Sunday evening here: https://wtip.org/wildfire-activity-intensifies-across-northern-minnesota-and-along-the-u-s-canada-border/

WTIP Staff July 14, 2026