Thoughts on a fire ban? We are heading out the first week of June out of Ely. We are trying to food prep accordingly. But with a fire ban that is a significant food prep adjustment. Thoughts...

I was just up there and we had three days of rain, drizzle, mist, and snow. I don’t believe it was enough to change the whole situation but after I talk to the outfitter, it doesn’t sound like one for the next week or two. But a lot can change in two weeks.

Think about it carefully…. Yesterday, as the twin cities got almost 2” of rain and the temps barely reached 50°, Ely and the entire arrowhead was 20° warmer, dry and in a “Red Flag Warning”. Not much rain in the forecast for the next 10 days. Technically, there is no fire ban. Do you need a fire ban to make a common sense decision when you’re sitting at camp with a 12-15 mph wind blowing across your fire pit? Prepare your trip for a no fire situation.

I always go with the idea that there might be one and it might happen while I'm enroute - I travel a long way - and I'm not going back and changing everything. It depends on your options . . .

Twenty9inarow: "But with a fire ban, that is a significant food prep adjustment."

Having a ban on campfires should never be a "significant food prep adjustment." Bring a stove and use it safely.

https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/forestry/fire/firerating_restrictions.html

As of today fire danger rating was dropped from extreme to high (2 levels down) but restrictions are unchanged.

I’m going in on Friday and assuming we may not have fires and even if there’s no ban will make a smart choice based on conditions. All of our food can be made on a jetboil so not concerned, personally, aside from loving some whiskey around the fire at night.

Wind forecast looks like it’s dropping quite a bit too, but reality may be different

Be safe out there, have a great trip

Jackfish: "

Twenty9inarow: "But with a fire ban, that is a significant food prep adjustment."

Having a ban on campfires should never be a "significant food prep adjustment." Bring a stove and use it safely. "

+1 anything that can be prepared over a campfire can also be prepared over a stove. It's not rocket science. I cook all my food over a stove and have never felt like it was a disadvantage.

I was up last week. There was no fire ban but there was also no way I would even have thought to build a fire. It was scary dry. The green up hadn't started yet, so if that has been happening the last 6 days since I got back that would help drop the danger.

Common sense should stop people from starting a campfire long before a ban is actually initiated. IMO once a it becomes necessary for a ban to be imposed, common sense should have indicated the danger and risk conditions for NOT starting a campfire would have been reached several days before the ban was actually imposed.

Not sure what sort of food can only be made over a campfire, that couldn't also be cooked over a camp stove?

Other than the traditional first night steak over an open fire, all other meals are cooked on my pocket rocket. Done that for almost 20 years now. Never an issue to cook with the pocket rocket - fire ban or not. Once had the cook the steaks (for our group of 9 with 7 being students from my school) on the pocket rocket in a torrential downpour - and we all survived and enjoyed the meal.

Karl: "https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/forestry/fire/firerating_restrictions.html

As of today fire danger rating was dropped from extreme to high (2 levels down) but restrictions are unchanged.

I’m going in on Friday and assuming we may not have fires and even if there’s no ban will make a smart choice based on conditions. All of our food can be made on a jetboil so not concerned, personally, aside from loving some whiskey around the fire at night.

Wind forecast looks like it’s dropping quite a bit too, but reality may be different.

Be safe out there, have a great trip"

That will change next week after the warmup begins and no rain in site.

Thanks team for sharing your thoughts and opinions. That first night steak dinner, and the idea of bringing one or multiple jets stoves was on my mind.
-Appreciate all of you.

Pinetree: "

Karl: "https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/forestry/fire/firerating_restrictions.html

As of today fire danger rating was dropped from extreme to high (2 levels down) but restrictions are unchanged.

I’m going in on Friday and assuming we may not have fires and even if there’s no ban will make a smart choice based on conditions. All of our food can be made on a jetboil so not concerned, personally, aside from loving some whiskey around the fire at night.

Wind forecast looks like it’s dropping quite a bit too, but reality may be different.

Be safe out there, have a great trip"

That will change next week after the warmup begins and no rain in site. "

The weather in northern Minnesota has become so chaotic that predicting past noon of the current day is iffy and you want to believe what is forecast for a week ahead?

14 day forecast-no rain

RMinMN: "

Pinetree: "

Karl: "https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/forestry/fire/firerating_restrictions.html

As of today fire danger rating was dropped from extreme to high (2 levels down) but restrictions are unchanged.

I’m going in on Friday and assuming we may not have fires and even if there’s no ban will make a smart choice based on conditions. All of our food can be made on a jetboil so not concerned, personally, aside from loving some whiskey around the fire at night.

Wind forecast looks like it’s dropping quite a bit too, but reality may be different.

Be safe out there, have a great trip"

That will change next week after the warmup begins and no rain in site. "

The weather in northern Minnesota has become so chaotic that predicting past noon of the current day is iffy and you want to believe what is forecast for a week ahead?"

Exactly! My girlfriend Belinda Jensen :) always says any weather report more than 48 hours is just for ratings. With the jet streams for all of Minnesota so much changes all the time it’s hard to predict weather beyond that and she has said beyond 24 hours their accuracy is still suspect.

I still watch the reports but I’ve seen so many times the 10 day forecast said it would rain every day and be a high of 60 only to have sunny and 70 daily by the time my trip starts and of course vice versa.

T

Always a 30% chance of something

Is the ban still in effect for the BW? We head to Knife in 6 days and there is no rain in the forecast, until we get there of course, so I assume it will remain, if it is still in place.

MarshallPrime: "Is the ban still in effect for the BW? We head to Knife in 6 days and there is no rain in the forecast, until we get there of course, so I assume it will remain, if it is still in place.
"

As of the time of this post, there is no fire ban in Superior National Forest. As of this year there has not been a ban but fire danger is high throughout the region and a ban may be eminent.
SNF Website

Some of you are kind of snooty in your response. Be nice!

Since this old thread has already been resurrected, what are the chances of a ban going into effect in the next week? We head in on the 1st and there isn't much in the way of rain chances in the 10 day forecast.

rperickson2163: "Some of you are kind of snooty in your response. Be nice!"

Agreed! Poor guys just asks about a fire ban and people scold him like he was planning on a big ole’ bonfire.

That said, the weather in 2025 when me made the post does not affect the weather in 2026- today.

Tom

NEIowapaddler: "Since this old thread has already been resurrected, what are the chances of a ban going into effect in the next week? We head in on the 1st and there isn't much in the way of rain chances in the 10 day forecast. "

I'm going to piggyback on this as well and ask what the current conditions look like. DNR says the fire danger is high but we should get some rain next week. How dry is it actually? Should I be thinking about skipping the campfire on my trip in 2 weeks?

Just got back from 4 days up on the north end of Sawbill. It didn't seem overly dry and we had fires every night. The the nights were down in the forty's with and the a pretty good dew on the tents and grass in the mornings. Hope this helps. have fun.

rperickson2163: "Just got back from 4 days up on the north end of Sawbill. It didn't seem overly dry and we had fires every night. The the nights were down in the forty's with and the a pretty good dew on the tents and grass in the mornings. Hope this helps. have fun."

How were the bugs?

rperickson2163: "Just got back from 4 days up on the north end of Sawbill. It didn't seem overly dry and we had fires every night. The the nights were down in the forty's with and the a pretty good dew on the tents and grass in the mornings. Hope this helps. have fun."

We came back on 06/03 from the North East end of Sawbill! We were neighbors!

You all probably saw this but a Fire Ban is now in place. Pray for some rain up there and everywhere in MN!

The last time I was in during a fire ban actually taught me that the campfire, although enjoyable, also causes you to miss out on some aspects of the wilderness. When you sit by the shoreline at dusk, there are some many great sounds from wildlife that come alive at this time. For instance we had a blue heron that would take off from the other side of the lake at dusk each night, and you could hear it as it crossed the lake and then it would land 10 yards or so from us next to camp. We called it 5 o'clock charlie. The campfire pulls everyone away from this. This was a nice meditative time.

I got back from my property in Lake County where the green up has stopped and stepping around seems crispy.

A1t2o: "

rperickson2163: "Just got back from 4 days up on the north end of Sawbill. It didn't seem overly dry and we had fires every night. The the nights were down in the forty's with and the a pretty good dew on the tents and grass in the mornings. Hope this helps. have fun."

How were the bugs?"

We came out of Baker Lake this morning. Bugs varied a lot. Some portages had lots of skeeters, and they were occasionally a bit annoying around camp, but those were fairly easy to fend off with a couple of thermacells. Overall definitely not bad. There were multiple evenings that we could sit in camp without any thermacells or bug dope and not have a single skeeter around us. I've ever experienced that in the BW in June before. And virtually no black flies anywhere.

NEIowapaddler: "

A1t2o: "

rperickson2163: "Just got back from 4 days up on the north end of Sawbill. It didn't seem overly dry and we had fires every night. The the nights were down in the forty's with and the a pretty good dew on the tents and grass in the mornings. Hope this helps. have fun."

How were the bugs?"

We came out of Baker Lake this morning. Bugs varied a lot. Some portages had lots of skeeters, and they were occasionally a bit annoying around camp, but those were fairly easy to fend off with a couple of thermacells. Overall definitely not bad. There were multiple evenings that we could sit in camp without any thermacells or bug dope and not have a single skeeter around us. I've ever experienced that in the BW in June before. And virtually no black flies anywhere. "

As I understand, the black flies are pollinators to blueberries. No black flies = fewer blueberries I think.

What is the likelihood of the Fire Ban being lifted before the June 30th date? With up to a half inch of rain today and rain on and off all week it makes me wonder how easily the Forest Service could simply lift the ban? Or, are there measures in place that make if difficult to lift until the proposed date of June 30?

Michwall2: "

NEIowapaddler: "

A1t2o: "

rperickson2163: "Just got back from 4 days up on the north end of Sawbill. It didn't seem overly dry and we had fires every night. The the nights were down in the forty's with and the a pretty good dew on the tents and grass in the mornings. Hope this helps. have fun."

How were the bugs?"

We came out of Baker Lake this morning. Bugs varied a lot. Some portages had lots of skeeters, and they were occasionally a bit annoying around camp, but those were fairly easy to fend off with a couple of thermacells. Overall definitely not bad. There were multiple evenings that we could sit in camp without any thermacells or bug dope and not have a single skeeter around us. I've ever experienced that in the BW in June before. And virtually no black flies anywhere. "

As I understand, the black flies are pollinators to blueberries. No black flies = fewer blueberries I think."

I think this has been a myth, but this study suggests it not true. They do steal nectar though so it might appear like they could.
https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/10.1139/z00-133