As of July 18, 15 wildfires are burning across northeastern Minnesota and the Superior National Forest. The largest fires are the Bear Trap Fire at approximately 34,545 acres, the Thumb Fire at 15,394 acres, the Sioux Fire at 10,837 acres, and the Camp Fire at 4,176 acres. The Little Knife Fire has burned about 6,000 acres in the United States and 80,000 acres in Canada. Combined, the July Lightning Incident has burned more than 71,000 acres in Minnesota, plus the 6,000 U.S. acres burned by the Little Knife Fire. Evacuations, BWCA closures, and forest-wide fire restrictions remain in effect.

The BWCA is closed through 7/24/26 at this point.

Full Daily Update PDF

Smoke Outlook

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I had no idea the Little Knife fire had burned so much in Canada. Dang.

NEIowapaddler: "I had no idea the Little Knife fire had burned so much in Canada. Dang. "

Seven day summary from NASA, dated today:











NASA FIRMS seven day summary for Agnes to Kawnipi to Falls Chain to Knife

I have been following the fires closely and is there either no update or has the Little Knife fire not grown hardly in the last three days? I’m really hoping it’s the later.

Wow, not staffing the Thumb Fire at this time according to the briefing, If the weather can't settle this fire down it has some real potential to char some land.

CanoeViking: "I have been following the fires closely and is there either no update or has the Little Knife fire not grown hardly in the last three days? I’m really hoping it’s the later. "

I'm surprised we have not seen an updated map, the skies are pretty good here in Duluth lately, must be different up there. I hope its not bigger, that area is one of the few left in the Gunflint RD that is not had fire history in the last 25 years.

Updated that BWCA closure extended through 7/24.

Duluth, MN, July 18, 2026) – Superior National Forest is extending Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) permit cancellations to Friday, July 24th, as wildfires continue to threaten the region. This decision gives visitors, outfitters and local businesses more reliable planning time while ensuring decisions continue to prioritize public health and safety.

The wilderness remains closed under the emergency order issued July 14. While the area received between a half-inch and one inch of rain Friday morning, conditions are already dry, and hot, dry weather is expected to return this weekend and beyond. Crews anticipate continued fire growth as fuels dry out and winds increase.

“Wildfire smoke and extreme fire behavior create serious risks for anyone traveling in the Boundary Waters,” said Drew Stroberg, Acting Forest Supervisor, Superior National Forest. “Even short term exposure to heavy smoke can trigger breathing problems, especially for children, older adults, and people with heart or lung conditions. In remote wilderness terrain, unpredictable fire activity makes evacuations dangerous and rescue operations very challenging—especially during severe drought and weather conditions.”

The Superior NF Leadership and Incident Command Teams will continue to review conditions every day and will update the status as changes are warranted. Community members, visitors, and permit holders are encouraged to check for updates regularly.

Wow, Friday 24th.

So if we have permits for Monday the 27th and we get there and it's still closed, does anyone have any suggestions on alternate places to go?

I'm looking at the latest satellite images and don't see any smoke. That is a great thing. And more rain to come, from the recent forecast.

Looks like it is getting close to matching the size of Pagami Creek?

For some reason this year feels like it is having a bigger impact to humans.

PAR: "Wow, Friday 24th.


So if we have permits for Monday the 27th and we get there and it's still closed, does anyone have any suggestions on alternate places to go?"

I would check with your outfitter

PAR: "Wow, Friday 24th.


So if we have permits for Monday the 27th and we get there and it's still closed, does anyone have any suggestions on alternate places to go?"

Both the BWCAW and Quetico have been announcing closures 2-3 days in advance of the closure ending…of the new closures. I think you will know well before you arrive if there are closures.

T

Dear PAR,

Many of us are in this situation, and I’m sure you are now taking yourself through a crash course on recent events.

The closures extend out four days from today. So if BCAW is closed today, Sunday, which it is, that means it is also closed through Wednesday. This should help a bit with planning if not with forecasting.

For visitors like me and my spouse, this won’t help very much with ultimate decision making. We won’t know whether our August 3 permit is canceled until July 31, when Fair Spouse will already be at an industry conference in Minneapolis, and I will already be on the road from Appalachia with our canoe and gear.

So we are one of those parties that may have to make a decision before we know for sure whether BWCA is welcoming back paddlers. And that would be the best case scenario for BWCA. It looks pretty dire. Apart from making donations to support the community, we are sticking to our travel plans and just coping with a lot of uncertainty. After a week of thinking it through, we don’t really have any good options. We’re facing cancellation of our only planned holiday in two years—and we are old enough that every year we are still healthy enough to portage is a gift. If that happens, if we have to cancel, Spouse will go off a-fossiling somewhere and I will stay home with the animals. Not great—but we keep reminding ourselves that folks in the Northwoods are in the midst of disaster. We’re thinking that if BWCA opens up sometime next week, the big go/no go decision for us will revolve around air quality, fire behavior forecasts and possibly water quality. Our EP is 57 for a trip down the Granite River. If we are told, “you are ok to paddle,” how can we justify cancelling our trip when so many others have had to? This is the dilemma we have been wrestling with. Hard to say what will happen but our hearts are with everyone affected and if fate brings us back up smith this summer, we will be happy to be part of the recovery.

PAR: "Wow, Friday 24th.


So if we have permits for Monday the 27th and we get there and it's still closed, does anyone have any suggestions on alternate places to go?"

LaVirginienne: "Dear PAR,


Many of us are in this situation, and I’m sure you are now taking yourself through a crash course on recent events.


The closures extend out four days from today. So if BCAW is closed today, Sunday, which it is, that means it is also closed through Wednesday. This should help a bit with planning if not with forecasting.


For visitors like me and my spouse, this won’t help very much with ultimate decision making. We won’t know whether our August 3 permit is canceled until July 31, when Fair Spouse will already be at an industry conference in Minneapolis, and I will already be on the road from Appalachia with our canoe and gear.


So we are one of those parties that may have to make a decision before we know for sure whether BWCA is welcoming back paddlers. And that would be the best case scenario for BWCA. It looks pretty dire. Apart from making donations to support the community, we are sticking to our travel plans and just coping with a lot of uncertainty. After a week of thinking it through, we don’t really have any good options. We’re facing cancellation of our only planned holiday in two years—and we are old enough that every year we are still healthy enough to portage is a gift. If that happens, if we have to cancel, Spouse will go off a-fossiling somewhere and I will stay home with the animals. Not great—but we keep reminding ourselves that folks in the Northwoods are in the midst of disaster. We’re thinking that if BWCA opens up sometime next week, the big go/no go decision for us will revolve around air quality, fire behavior forecasts and possibly water quality. Our EP is 57 for a trip down the Granite River. If we are told, “you are ok to paddle,” how can we justify cancelling our trip when so many others have had to? This is the dilemma we have been wrestling with. Hard to say what will happen but our hearts are with everyone affected and if fate brings us back up smith this summer, we will be happy to be part of the recovery.

PAR: "Wow, Friday 24th.



So if we have permits for Monday the 27th and we get there and it's still closed, does anyone have any suggestions on alternate places to go?"

"

I'm with you. I am supposed to be taking five grandsons and two son-in-laws with our Permit entry on July 31. A lot of variables to consider with air and water as well as are the campsites damaged and are portage trails passable? I'll be contacting our Outfitter again this week to discuss this. They had to evacuate. Are they still there? Did they have to let go of their staff? Very sad for all the businesses and very distressing for us paddlers who may be forced to cancel our trip.

BWPaddler: "Looks like it is getting close to matching the size of Pagami Creek?


For some reason this year feels like it is having a bigger impact to humans."

Yes, if the current acreage estimates are accurate. There are several reasons for that feeling, IMO. One is that these fires are spread out over several areas, not concentrated in one location like Pagami Creek, so more of people's favorite spots are being affected. Also, the Pagami Creek fire did most of its damage in a few days, before many people even were aware of the extent of the destruction. This is happening in peak season, too, when a lot more people are having their plans affected by the closure. And for that. And finally, the BWCA wasn't completely closed at the time of Pagami Creek as it is now.

For those traveling from afar on a long planned trip and still want some remote paddling options, you could try the Turtle Flambeau Flowage and the Bittersweet Lakes in northern WI ( both part of the Northern Highland State Forest campsites, reserve sites thru the WI State Park system) or Sylvania Wilderness in northern MI (preserve sites thru recreation.gov) or even all three. TF and Bittersweet Lakes are about 45 mins apart. Sylvania about an hour from them.

Not the BWCA but still paddling and camping in the wilderness.

This situation creates tough choices for travelers but nothing like those living with it/through it in the BWCA. My heart goes out to them. Be safe!

LaVirginienne: "The closures extend out four days from today. So if BCAW is closed today, Sunday, which it is, that means it is also closed through Wednesday. This should help a bit with planning if not with forecasting."

The closure actually extends now through Friday, July 24:

”(Duluth, MN, July 18, 2026) – Superior National Forest is extending Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) permit cancellations to Friday, July 24th, as wildfires continue to threaten the region. This decision gives visitors, outfitters and local businesses more reliable planning time while ensuring decisions continue to prioritize public health and safety.”

Anyone with a trip planned this summer should sign up to receive such notices at

USFS Keep in Touch

I think the BW will re-open on an entry point basis. So, it matters if your permit EP is in a burn area. I don’t think they will just reopen the whole thing at once.

You might try to get a permit for an EP not near the fires, if your existing permit is in a burned area.

brp: "I think the BW will re-open on an entry point basis. So, it matters if your permit EP is in a burn area. I don’t think they will just reopen the whole thing at once.


You might try to get a permit for an EP not near the fires, if your existing permit is in a burned area. "

I am not so sure about that. The post that Adam quotes from indicates that it is not only fire but also heavy smoke that impacts the decision to open sections of the BW. There is simply not the manpower available to rescue people who are overcome by the smoke. This also exposes rescue workers to the same unhealthy smoke environment. Unless something changes drastically in the next couple of days, I won't be going even if they open my entry. Not worth the short or long term health risks.

Oh my goodness…Curtain Falls! The pictographs! Just now realizing where these fires are raging. :-(

I understand what you are saying. However, it’s not just a matter of fires being out cold and the smoke clearing. Portages will be blocked, latrines will be melted, there will be widow makers to cut…but not in the unburned areas.

That is why I think there will be a staggered reopening and it probably won’t begin until the fires are largely out.

Burned areas won’t reopen when the fires are out, they will reopen after all the secondary issues are addressed, I think.

The smoke really moved into NE IA overnight. I can feel the effects on my lungs and sinuses just from being outside for a couple of hours. Can't imagine what it's like closer to the fires. This is the worst smoke I've ever experienced here, but I'm sure it's nothing like what people are experiencing more directly downwind. I would never go camping even in these conditions.

There's also the issue of the whole BWCA being a tinder box right now. Manpower is already stretched thin and it would only take 1 irresponsible party to start another big fire. I don't see the BWCA reopening until fire danger improves generally across the region.

I am not seeing any active heat signatures on any of the satellites images. Perhaps I’m not reading it right but I only see like a half dozen heat signatures as compared to the hundreds that were there before.

I also noticed that the little knife fire hasn’t been updated in three days

Tuesday will be a big day. Looks like windy with potential gusts up to 30 MPH from the NW. If so the current fires may go off like bombs and again be traveling many mile in a day. Wednesday could be windy also.

The good news is that the temperature will be in the 60s and Monday may bring some precipitation. Next week will be interesting.

we're in the same boat, but on the 28th
but out of Sawbill, where there is not current threat
I understand the forest service is spread thin, so closing everything makes sense