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

WTIP Staff | July 14, 2026

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

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

WTIP Community Radio · Gunflint District Ranger Kyle Stover – Fire Update from Forest Service as of July 14

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.