HASSEL FIRE ON LA CROIX RANGER DISTRICT
This afternoon, a wildfire was detected SW of Hassel Lake in the BWCAW - west of Burntside Lake & approx. 10 miles northeast of Tower, MN. The fire is estimated at 2 acres & believed to be caused by a lightning strike.

Current Status: Fire managers flew over the fire at midday and reported low fire activity of smoldering and creeping fire on the ground. The size is still estimated to be at around 2 to 2 1?2 acres in size as of 12 noon today.
Closures: Due to the remote nature of this fire and the location of several small Wilderness lakes that visitors use in the area, a Forest Closure Order has been put in place today. This is a preventative measure for public safety due to the amount of time it takes to close the area.
BWCAW Entry Point #4 Crab Lake remains open. An area closure of lakes, campsites, and portages within the BWCAW west of Crab Lake became effective at 12:01pm today for public and firefighter safety. This Closure Area includes Clark Lake, Saca Lake, Meat Lake, Phantom Lake, Boulder Lake, Battle Lake, Hassel Lake, Lunetta Lake, Schlamn Lake and all the associated portages and campsites in this area. This closure includes the creek between Lunetta Lake and Little Crab Lake.

Very dry and hot air in Minnesota with record-breaking heat.

Hassel Lake Location

Saw this on Facebook as well. Thanks for posting. I'm surprised a fire ban hasn't been put into place. This is reminding me very much like the Ham Lake fire conditions.

Has there been much rain in the BW at all lately?

OneMatch: "Saw this on Facebook as well. Thanks for posting. I'm surprised a fire ban hasn't been put into place. This is reminding me very much like the Ham Lake fire conditions.

Has there been much rain in the BW at all lately?
"

Precipitation reports in the 48 hours preceding 11:10 a.m., CDT, June 5:

Let’s hope they get some control on it today. Winds picking up for tomorrow could be some trouble.

I was camped at the end of The Gunflint Trail May 28th - June 4th and it just sprinkled a few times. The ground didn’t even get wet under the trees. The surrounding area got more rain one night last week but it missed this area. Really dry.

Oh boy. I am planning to go through that lake in a week. I'm thinking this fire is gonna really get going. Might make the front page

tumblehome: "Oh boy. I am planning to go through that lake in a week. I'm thinking this fire is gonna really get going. Might make the front page
"

It hasn't really grown yet. So that's the good news. The bad news is the FS is closing the lakes west of Crab. I'd make alternate plans.



Hassel Lake fire update

Maronite,
Thanks for the link.

I just booked a permit for a different day and different entry. I was going into Crab lake next week. Am planning to head west into Trout then into the Little Indian Souix River back to Cummings.

If this fire turns into anything, all of these lakes are under threat of fire and at the very least, closure.

I’m am not a big fan of fire suppression in the BWCA since this practice has made fires worse with the proliferation of fuels in the forest. On the other hand, it’s tough to watch all that forest burn up. But let me say that new young forests thrive in amazing ways after fire and create fire breaks to lesson the severity of future fires.
Tom

I saw the storms moving across the area with a lot of lightning and was afraid that would happen. Here's hoping it stays small. Supposed to be entering Crab lake next weekend.

Temps are at least predicted to be lower in the upper third of MN today. I hope that helps. Obviously, rain is what is needed.

Current Status : Fire managers flew over the fire at midday and reported low fire activity of smoldering and creeping fire on the ground. The size is still estimated to be at around 2 to 2 1?2 acres in size as of 12 noon today.

Closures: Due to the remote nature of this fire and the location of several small Wilderness lakes that visitors use in the area, a Forest Closure Order has been put in place today. This is a preventative measure for public safety due to the amount of time it takes to close the area.
BWCAW Entry Point #4 Crab Lake remains open. An area closure of lakes, campsites, and portages within the BWCAW west of Crab Lake became effective at 12:01pm today for public and firefighter safety. This Closure Area includes Clark Lake, Saca Lake, Meat Lake, Phantom Lake, Boulder Lake, Battle Lake, Hassel Lake, Lunetta Lake, Schlamn Lake and all the associated portages and campsites in this area. This closure includes the creek between Lunetta Lake and Little Crab Lake.

We kayaked to the Crab Lake entry and hiked the portage Friday morning. The portage was busy with people both entering and exiting. I would imagine it’s hard to find a campsite with all of the closures.
Strong SW winds are predicted for today also. Hopefully, this doesn’t get the fire kicked up. The majority of the campsites that aren’t closed are directly down wind of the fire on Cummings.

Update from the FS on Sunday afternoon:

Yesterday afternoon, aircraft continued to make water drops on the fire to slow fire spread. Two sides of the fire had become more active, but the water drops were successful in reducing fire activity. The fire was estimated to be 3 acres in size in the evening. A crew of firefighters were flown into Boulder Lake to start looking for potential access routes to the fire area. A flight over the fire area this morning reported low fire activity of smoldering and creeping fire on the ground.

Planned Actions: The firefighters on Boulder Lake have made sure that they have safety zones and escape routes in place and then scouted a route to the fire’s edge. Additional firefighters will be used to assist with taking suppression action directly on the fire’s edge with pumps and water hoses. One FireBoss airplane and one Helicopter continue to be assigned to the fire and will be used for aerial water drops as needed. The safety of firefighters is the highest priority as fire suppression actions on the ground are taken.

Resources: The Superior National Forest has additional crews and engines available to assist. Currently the 20-person Wyoming Hotshot Crew and Wildland Engines with firefighters from other forests are temporarily stationed on the Forest to provide support for wildfire response.

Closures: BWCAW Entry Point #4 Crab Lake remains open. A Forest Closure of lakes, campsites, and portages within the BWCAW west of Crab Lake is in place to ensure public and firefighter safety. This Closure Area includes Clark Lake, Saca Lake, Meat Lake, Phantom Lake, Boulder Lake, Battle Lake, Hassel Lake, Lunetta Lake, Schlamn Lake and all the associated portages and campsites in this area. The closure includes the creek between Lunetta Lake and Little Crab Lak

: Hassel Fire on the La Croix District of the Superior National Forest by USDA Forest Service.

Praying for a good rain.
I'll deal with the bugs later.

HASSEL FIRE UPDATE (June 7, 2021)
Current Status : Hassel fire on La Croix Ranger District is estimated to be 3 acres. The weather forecast for today includes near critical fire weather conditions. Yesterday, firefighters continued to scout an access route from Boulder Lake to the fire area and planned logistical support for fire suppression on the ground. Fire activity was low most of the day with smoldering and creeping fire on the ground. Portions of the fire became active in the evening so a FireBoss airplane and helicopter made several water drops to reduce fire activity.
Planned Actions : Fire crews will continue to work on the access route to the fire from Boulder Lake and additional firefighters will work their way in to the fire and start to set up a pump and hose line to deliver water to the fire’s edge. If it is safe to do so firefighters will work directly on the fire’s edge to suppress any flames and cool areas of heat. One FireBoss airplane and one Helicopter continue to be assigned to the fire and will be used for aerial water drops as needed.
Closures remain the same: BWCAW Entry Point #4 Crab Lake remains open. A Forest Closure of lakes, campsites, and portages within the BWCAW west of Crab Lake is in place to ensure public and firefighter safety. This Closure Area includes Clark Lake, Saca Lake, Meat Lake, Phantom Lake, Boulder Lake, Battle Lake, Hassel Lake, Lunetta Lake, Schlamn Lake and all the associated portages and campsites in this area. The closure includes the creek between Lunetta Lake and Little Crab Lake.

Why are they not using the helicopter to transport fire fighters and equipment to the fire?

I see a TFR has been issued for this fire.

What is a TFR?

smoke: "Why are they not using the helicopter to transport fire fighters and equipment to the fire?"

They will use a helicopter to transport gear using a sling. But there is no place to land to drop off fire fighters. It's thick out there. I know out west they rappel off of helicopters but that technology/training probably isn't available in the midwest.

The USFS takes safety measures to the extreme these days. You have this little fire of just a few acres, mostly smoldering on the ground, and they have to set up all these safety protocols as if it was burning in a box canyon in Eastern washington. Well, I guess you can't be too careful. Firefighters have been trapped and died before.

I used to be a smoke chaser with the MNDNR and we would have just hiked into that fire, had a helicopter sling in pumps and hoses etc and pumped water on the thing until it was out. Back in the old days, ha ha!

4keys: "What is a TFR?
"

temporary flight restrictions

A healthy line of storms travelled along the MN/ON border last night, dropping from a quarter to a half inch of rain. No word on any new lightning strikes, but the rain had to help in the northern part of the BWCAW.

marsonite: "

smoke: "Why are they not using the helicopter to transport fire fighters and equipment to the fire?"

.


The USFS takes safety measures to the extreme these days. You have this little fire of just a few acres, mostly smoldering on the ground, and they have to set up all these safety protocols as if it was burning in a box canyon in Eastern washington. Well, I guess you can't be too careful. Firefighters have been trapped and died before.


"

Six firefighters were caught in the Pagami Creek fire and survived because of their potatos. That fire smoldered away for a week and when it took off, it raced 20 miles in one day

19 firefighter were killed in The Yarnell, AZ fire in 2013

Woodland firefighters should be afforded the same safety precautions as other hazardous job workers

tumblehome: "

marsonite: "

smoke: "Why are they not using the helicopter to transport fire fighters and equipment to the fire?"

.



The USFS takes safety measures to the extreme these days. You have this little fire of just a few acres, mostly smoldering on the ground, and they have to set up all these safety protocols as if it was burning in a box canyon in Eastern washington. Well, I guess you can't be too careful. Firefighters have been trapped and died before.



"

Six firefighters were caught in the Pagami Creek fire and survived because of their potatos. That fire smoldered away for a week and when it took off, it raced 20 miles in one day


19 firefighter were killed in The Yarnell, AZ fire in 2013


Woodland firefighters should be afforded the same safety precautions as other hazardous job workers"

Have a friend who quit firefighting after being down in 2013 in those terrible Arizona fires. His dad also wanted him to quit. He was in a long line of firefighters in that family.

There are years and times of years to let fires go. Not this year with predicted long hot spells and dry.

HASSEL FIRE ?? UPDATE (June 9, 2021)
Current Status: Yesterday, early morning rain and higher humidity
levels kept fire activity low. The fire is now estimated to be 21 acres due to some more active fire days and more accurate mapping by firefighters on the ground on Tuesday, June 8. Closures ? remain the same


The Minnesota Incident Command System Type 3 Team B was ordered and took command of the fire at 6:00 am on June 9, 2021. Team B brings additional safety, operational, logistical, and planning support to ensure that the fire crews in the Wilderness can focus on fire suppression.

Fire crews were able to approach the fire’s edge and started to assess the conditions and strategies needed to work on direct suppression of the fire. Additional crews were brought into the fire area to set up pumps and water hose lines. Safely accessing this fire on the ground for direct suppression and supporting those efforts has taken time to establish. Firefighters need to have two reliable methods to leave the fire area if an injury occurs or fire activity increases and compromises firefighter safety.

Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR): There is currently a TFR in place for air space over the Hassel Lake Fire (FDC 1/9059) due to fire aviation operations. Remember that temporary flight restrictions also apply to unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) or drones. If you fly, we can’t!

Cooperating Agencies: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, St. Louis County Office of Emergency Management & U.S. Forest Service.

??: A more active Hassel Fire pictured on June 7, 2021 by USDA Forest Service.

Radar says some good rain in Ely and Arrowhead tonight.....is it true?

Looks like most will miss Ely, but Quetico will get a good rain.

Firefighters lost their lives on the first three project fires that I was on in the nineteen sixties. The forest service present records show only one death on one fire . The Coyote Fire out of Santa Barbara in 1964 had one firefighter fatality and 76 firefighters hospitalized with severe burns. We were informed on the line that four firefighters had lost their lives on the Sleeping Child Fire in 1961 but they are unaccounted for in the government records plus one other death on the Donner Ridge Fire unaccounted for in 1960. The record keeping for aviation deaths is even worse than for fire . Starting in 1967 and going on every year for five years , men lost their lives flying out of a remote station at McGrath, Ak. Only one aircraft accident is on record and that is because the Stebben's Village crew lost four plus pilot and copilot when a DC3 crashed on takeoff. More attention has been paid to safety every years since I left the trade. I believe that it has also become more dangerous than ever in a large part due to poor training and lack of true fire experience of the overhead. In the past, experienced firefighters would refer to the Hassel fire as a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer production or a homestead fire.

9pm radar shows intense but narrow bands of magenta. That’s heavy Schit.
Just north of Ely right smack in the BWCA.
I think that area has received quite a bit or rain the past few days with many rounds of storms. It would be nice to hear from some folks returning what their observations are.

Duluth is getting a bit crunchy.

Tom

tumblehome: "9pm radar shows intense but narrow bands of magenta. That’s heavy Schit.
Just north of Ely right smack in the BWCA.
I think that area has received quite a bit or rain the past few days with many rounds of storms. It would be nice to hear from some folks returning what their observations are.


Duluth is getting a bit crunchy.


Tom
"

most of this rain is west and north of ELY.
The BWCA rain has varied. Even with rain the last few days, Kawishiwi river is lower today than last week. This rain helped for a short period only.

There was a crew of about 15 sharp-looking Wyoming Hot Shot firefighters eating breakfast at Britton's Wed., 6/9. They said there were several small fires in the area. We were out on United States Point in Basswood when an intense lightning storm rolled through about 4 AM 6/8. Constant lightning for at least 1/2 hour. Not much rain accompanied it though--just enough to get everything wet before we packed up.

HASSEL FIRE Fire UPDATE (June 11, 2021)
The 21-acre Hassel Fire is now 100% contained! Containment is defined as having achieved a line around the perimeter of the fire to keep it from spreading. Fire crews will continue to monitor the fire area today & begin hauling supplies out.

admin: "HASSEL FIRE Fire UPDATE (June 11, 2021)
The 21-acre Hassel Fire is now 100% contained! Containment is defined as having achieved a line around the perimeter of the fire to keep it from spreading. Fire crews will continue to monitor the fire area today & begin hauling supplies out."

Excellent news. Glad the strong winds earlier this week didn’t kick things up. And now hoping for a long, steady rain sooner rather than later.

I spent last week at the northern section of Trout and I presume that these were some of the planes doing water drops on Hassel. They did multiple (8-10) rounds a couple days but only late afternoon.

napinch: "I spent last week at the northern section of Trout and I presume that these were some of the planes doing water drops on Hassel. They did multiple (8-10) rounds a couple days but only late afternoon.
"

The two smaller ones are called Fire Bosses, they are 802 turbine engine crop dusters fitted with pontoons, they carry around 800 gallons of water.

The single larger plane is either an CL 215 or 415 I can't tell in the pic. They are essentially the same plane but the 415 has a turbine engine. They are built in Canada by Bombardier, and carry around 1,400 gallons of water.

MN-DNR used to own two CL 215's but sold them a few years ago and now contract 802 Fire Bosses as their replacement.

There were two of each and it was a pretty impressive air show for an hour or so! The larger ones would come in with a low-level bank turn over the trees to get into position to make scoop. Not an everyday BWCA experience. Glad they did get the fire under control.