Fire reported near Shell Lake in BWCA
According to a U.S. Forest Service (USFS) press release issued on Oct. 8, a fire was reported on Oct. 7 near the Eastern side of Shell Lake at about noon. The lake lies within the Boundary Water Canoe Area Wilderness in St. Louis County.
An official investigation has not yet been completed, but the statement from the USFS speculated that the 1/2 acre fire was caused by humans. The condition of the fire at the time of the news release was “creeping and smoldering,” with the occasional tree torching. The statement read “The fire has some potential to spread to the east near Agawato Lake and a portion of the Sioux-Hustler Hiking Trail. The fire area and surrounding landscape has thick vegetation cover.”
Fire crews will continue assessment today. The USFS wrote in the statement, “Public and firefighter safety are the highest priority and ground access could be difficult.” It went on to state that due to the ongoing large wildfires in the western United States, as well as the hurricane response efforts in the Southeast, the availability of additional firefighting resources are limited at this time.
The USFS has asked the public to avoid the east Shell Lake area, and the Superior National Forest (SNF) has put a temporary closure to the loop portion of the Sioux-Hustler Hiking Trail, as well as some campsites on Shell and Agawato Lakes.
Above-average temperatures and dry conditions are forecasted for the rest of the week across the Superior National Forest area. The MN Department of Natural Resources and the SNF banned campfires, grills, and wood stoves across the BWCA in addition to Lake and Cook Counties on Oct. 4. That ban remains in effect as the region continues to experience drought conditions.