BWCA Forest Service controlled burn for April '17 Boundary Waters Listening Point - General Discussion
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VoyageurNorth
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04/21/2017 02:54PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)


Hello!
The Superior National Forest West Zone is preparing and will possibly attempt three prescribed fires in Oak/Blueberry units along the Echo Trail near Lake Jeanette later today and over the weekend (April 21-23). Actual ignition will depend upon drying and weather conditions. The attached factsheet provides additional details.
Thanks!
-Tim


Tim Engrav
Assistant District Ranger, Recreation/Wilderness
Forest Service
Superior National Forest,
LaCroix and Laurentian Ranger Districts
p: 218-666-0025
C: 218-349-2900
tengrav@fs.fed.us

LaCroix R.D. Laurentian R.D.
320 N Hwy 53 318 Forestry Road
Cook, MN 55723 Aurora, MN 55705
www.fs.fed.us




 
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DrBobDg
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04/21/2017 04:28PM  
Hope they know what they are doing this time.

dr bob
 
04/21/2017 07:54PM  
Hmmmmm.....
 
ellahallely
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04/22/2017 05:33AM  
They are no longer called "CONTOLLED BURNS" they are now called "PERSCRIBED BURNS".

The forest service can not control fires, but they can start them.

Pagami fire after 11,000 pounds of gasoline was added. Photo taken from Trestle Inn parking lot. .

Foss lake controlled burn from Burntside lake.


Up here the fires are called "economic stimulus packages".

The Pagami fire cost 20 plus million to fight and almost killed people. 20 years ago the fs budget for fires was 15% now the budget for fires is 50%. Looks like forest service has money to burn!!

I hope this all works out. They have dozens of fires planned, including thousands of acres in the bwca. I don't get the government setting the woods on fire in a wilderness area, but that's me.
 
04/22/2017 08:06AM  
They are professionals and do the best they can with the resources they have. The hands off approach when it comes to BWCA is NOT acceptable....to a degree as it pertains to prescribed fires. Unplanned fires like Pagami are sort of a different animal.

We have been influencing the BW for a long time now. Your reference to gallons of gas added to the Pagami fire I can only assume is reference to the agencies efforts to burn out around the fire in an attempt to contain it? Thats proabably a somewhat misleading statement. 11,000 gallons of drip torch fuel? Haven't you seen John Wayne in Hellfighters:)

The only way to both maintain some resemblance of a Boreal Forest and avoid the catastrophic wildfires as found in the West is to burn more and more frequently no idea if your budget increase percentages are correct but I say good so long as its for prescribed fire and not earmarked for fighting wildfires(needs funding too). They really need to get ahead of the massive build up of fuels in our forests from the the effects of disease and stressed out trees and windstorms.

You could make an argument that the forest is going to change in species composition anyway so why try to maintain it but remember we have many invasive species knocking at the door and may already be in the BWCA. Most are not fire tolerant and burning if nothing else helps keep these species out and could in the long term provide the time for as some research suggests Burr Oaks to move in and get a foothold before say Buckthorn comes in and completely takes over.

I love the BW as everyone here does and Im not interested in igniting...haha a lot of debate about this but I felt some of your statements were somewhat misleading.

M
 
04/22/2017 09:03AM  
Many of the Forest Service policies are caused by political pressure. Many in the general public say fires that are nature caused like lightning, should be allowed to burn. The other option to maintain some resemblance of the boreal forest is to use prescribed fire.
If I had to make a choice of which to use, it would be prescribed fire every time. The Pagami Creek fire is one of the end results of a let burn policy. Enough for right now I have road work to do this weekend! Larry
 
04/22/2017 10:51AM  
Pagami fire after 11,000 pounds of gasoline was added. Photo taken from Trestle Inn parking lot.

Ellahalley is mostly correct, although I do not know the exact pounds, it was a actually Alumigell, similar to Napalm, it was used to ignite the Interior and secure the fire perimeter of the Pagami Fire from helicopters (helitorchs) between Pagami Creek, and Lake Two.

Unfortunately it was too wet when this aerial ignition took place, the fire smoldered for a week, until things dried out enough and the wind event happened that took the fire past Insula Lake all the way to Isabella Lake.

I was there the day of the aerial ignition, but ironically I was canoeing with my wife, not fighting the fire.
 
Minnesotian
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04/22/2017 01:05PM  

This thread reminds me of the excellent book Fire Season by Philip Conners. He wrote the book after being a fire tower watch in the Gila Wilderness. Lots of good insights on forest management.

I expecially like this snippit from the book: "Summing up the Forest Service’s current thinking, Connors notes that if Smokey Bear were to give honest advice today, he’d say: “Remember — Only YOU Can Prevent Your Cigarette or Campfire From Starting a Wildfire We Are Forced by Longstanding Protocol to Suppress With Every Available Resource So as Not to Encourage Promiscuous Pyromaniacs; on the Other Hand Some Fires Started by Lightning Ought to Be Allowed to Run Their Course. . . . "

For a further review: New York Times review
 
04/22/2017 09:01PM  
I support prescribed burns when conditions are within limits. I was on the Island river when it broke loose and it was dry and temperature was in the upper 80's. Things like that happen,you learn and move on.
 
Northland
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04/23/2017 08:12AM  
quote ellahallely:


The Pagami fire cost 20 plus million to fight and almost killed people. "


It also earned an award for the outgoing forest supervisor, who quickly (and quietly) retired after receiving it.
 
04/25/2017 05:07AM  
Anybody here how the burn went?
 
ellahallely
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04/25/2017 07:06AM  
No news is good new. Not so sure it happened. It has been wet. Saturday was dry and windy from the west. Didn't see or smell smoke..

Mr. Lindentree how do you feel about the "set" fires? I know you have first hand experience having lived in Isabella and working for the FS.
 
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