Note that there is a small fire SW of Lake Two. This has not currently created any closures.

Date(s): Jul 1, 2021

NE MN, Lake County, T 63 N, R 9 W, Sec 32. At about 3:00 pm on June 30th, a wildfire was detected approximately one mi sw of Lake Two, in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) on the Kawishiwi Ranger District of the Superior National Forest. The fire is located west of Rock Island Lake and approximately 16 miles east of Ely, MN. The fire is believed to be caused by a lightning strike.

June 30 afternoon and evening, aircraft made water drops on the fire to slow fire spread. All sides of the fire were active, but the water drops were successful in reducing fire activity. The fire was estimated to be 1.5 acres in size and the fire has not grown as of July 1 morning. A crew of six firefighters were flown into Lake Two June 30 evening with an additional four July 1.

Rock Island Map

Looks like it is burning in the old Pagami Fire burn scar.

There shouldn’t be too much fuel around then…

There was very unstable weather producing plenty of small thunderstorms on both the 28th and 29th. I paddled from Lake 3 to Insula on the 29th and had to take cover twice in an hour due to heavy rain and lightening. That evening another storm came over with plenty of lightening, hitting me on Insula then moving toward the number lakes.

Update: Rock Island Fire ??- July 3, 202
Crews have achieved 100% containment of the Rock Island Fire near Lake Two in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. This is the last update for the fire.
Have a safe Fourth of July everyone!

For anyone reading, there's still definitely a fire somewhere near Ely. I'm trying to learn where. We are on Low Lake and there is smoke drifting over the lake, though very dispersed, and one of our groups ran into a ranger that said there was a fire somewhere on Basswood. They came out a few days ago. Not sure if this is in the BW or just south but there's something going on.

The smoke covering NE MN today is from Canadian fires.

Jaywalker: "There was very unstable weather producing plenty of small thunderstorms on both the 28th and 29th. I paddled from Lake 3 to Insula on the 29th and had to take cover twice in an hour due to heavy rain and lightening. That evening another storm came over with plenty of lightening, hitting me on Insula then moving toward the number lakes.
"

Super awesome shot!
Yes there is smoke in northern MN from Canadian fires but if there is smoke wafting over a lake, that is not from those fires.