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Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Listening Point - General Discussion :: Fire Ban Effective Oct 1
 
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Pinetree
10/03/2024 07:49AM
  
Its ridiculous, this weather. No rain predicted in the 14-day forecast. As of Oct. 3rd.
 
adam
10/07/2024 07:05AM
  
Duluth, Minn. October 4, 2024—Due to continued dry conditions and worsening wildfire danger conditions, the Superior National Forest has issued another Emergency Forest Order 09-09-24-09 - effective October 4, 2024 at 12:01 a.m. CT - restricting the igniting, building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire or campfire, including charcoal grills and barbeques, coal, and woodburning stoves to reduce the likelihood of a wildfire in Cook and Lake County within the Superior National Forest Boundary. This new Forest Order 09-09-24-09 increases the restricted area from Forest Order 09-09-24-08 specific to the BWCAW, to also include Cook and Lake Counties. The new campfire restriction information and exhibits, including a map, are available here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/superior/notices/?cid=FSEPRD1208354


The campfire restrictions go into effect beginning (12:01) a.m., October 4, 2024. Gas or propane cook stoves are allowed throughout the Superior National Forest, including the BWCAW and are a safer option than campfires. Stoves or grills fueled by charcoal, or any type of wood are not allowed. These restrictions will continue until further notice.


St. Louis county outside of the BWCAW has received recent precipitation and is not included in this order.


“We have coordinated this with the Minnesota DNR to avoid confusion across the BWCAW, Cook and Lake Counties. We want the recreating public to be safe as they enjoy the Forest,” stated Tom Hall, Superior National Forest Supervisor.


The potential for wildfire is high across all ownerships in northern Minnesota currently. It is extremely important that people area careful with any sources of ignition such as smoking devices, dragging chains, and recreational vehicles. If you are in a location where you can have a campfire, consider if the conditions are right and if you need a fire. Be sure to keep your campfire small and put it out cold to the touch whenever you leave it. All permitted campfires must be attended all times.


For additional information regarding fire-related and/or forest closures and updates:
 
CanoeCos
10/01/2024 01:36PM
  
Bummed as well, planning to go in next week. Any chance this gets lifted with lower temps alone, or will it take a good rainfall? Hoping for rain in the next 10 days, but the forecast doesn't look promising...
 
wxce1260
09/30/2024 05:03PM
  
Makes sense. Bummer. I am heading in on Wednesday. Most of my trips I don't have a fire, so normally not a big deal, but with temps in the upper 20s possible I was hoping to keep warm a bit before heading to sleep.


It looks like it is only the BWCA, so I may alter plans and base camp at a SNF campground like S. Kawishiwi and then take 4 different day trips in to 4 different EPs. I've never done one like that before so that may be a fun alternative.
 
LaVirginienne
10/04/2024 09:15AM
  
Just returned from a Clearwater trip with an old friend new to canoeing. I checked all day on the 30th and it seemed that the fire ban was issued late in the day. We only found out about it while we were having breakfast at the Clearwater Lodge—where a cozy fire had been burning all night. My friend was understandably very bummed. Her whole dreams of the trip had been focused around making fires. It took her a while to understand the purpose of the ban etc. For us, lack of rain over those few days was a godsend. I think her first experience of BWCA was a really good one. And we did some wood processing chores in camp to pay it forward which she enjoyed…. My camp cooking suffered a bit but all for good reasons.


The winds has turned the Clearwater Lodge parking lot I to a dustbowl. I felt bad for the guests who will rent the gear being hung to dry from the rafters. And being liberally dusted!


We talked to a solo canoeist who had capsized the day before in the rollers on Clearwater. He was alive and well, and told us he had been able to get dry, but clearly he had no experience and asked why his solo canoe was so tippy, and should he have rented a tandem. Hoo boy.


By the way, does anybody know what has happened to campsite 4 on Clearwater Lake? I don’t know the BWCA number off the top of my head. I looked carefully and could not find it going out or paddling back.
 
OneMatch
10/04/2024 11:29PM
  
ItascaBirder: "



This does make me wonder what happens if you have our situation and are caught with a fire when the ban goes into effect after you enter. I assume they look at your permit and see you entered before the ban, but I don't know."


Yes, you are correct, but once the USFS ranger informs you of the fire ban, you are obligated to obey it.
 
ItascaBirder
10/04/2024 05:21PM
  
My trip partner and I went in on the 28th. I had no cell service at all (Verizon), so we were unaware of the ban. We had a couple of tiny fires this week, but we were aware of the dryness and waited for evening calm and had a couple gallons of water on hand. We doused the fire thoroughly at night.


This does make me wonder what happens if you have our situation and are caught with a fire when the ban goes into effect after you enter. I assume they look at your permit and see you entered before the ban, but I don't know.
 
LaVirginienne
10/04/2024 06:40PM
  
Sounds like you did good! If uninformed, cannot comply. The rangers will understand and infirm you of the ban, no worries.
 
ItascaBirder
10/04/2024 06:54PM
  
Nice. I had hoped it would be a common sense situation. We really did keep our fires to a few little sticks each night.
 
boonie
10/05/2024 12:41PM
  
It's why I always take a gas stove with a shutoff valve . . .
 
WalkieTalky
10/01/2024 07:14AM
  
We are heading in tonight. What a bummer.
 
martian
09/30/2024 05:32PM
  
That's a bummer but I half expected it. I packed the old Primus. Heading in Sunday anyway. How long before they'd issue a complete ban would you guess?
 
LoreAxe
09/30/2024 05:23PM
  
Not surprising, but I wish the warm weather was going to stick around another week. Going in Thursday. Wild weather this year, flooding to fire ban. Was looking forward to fall evenings around the fire all year, but I guess evenings around the LED lantern will have to do.
 
Cricket67
09/30/2024 04:49PM
  
Not surprising. Looks like October is starting up where September left off; warm, dry, and windy. While it does look like it will cool down, dewpoints are forecast to be very low over the next week so relative humidity will also drop.


Bummer in that I am planning on a trip at the end of next week, but overall very understandable and I am glad this step is being taken.
 
CanoeCos
10/31/2024 03:54PM
  
Well, it wasn't lifted (of course). Buddy and I looked at alternatives and went into the BWCAW anyway. Great trip east of the Gunflint trail. Though it was too dry to have fires and too wet to have fires (got rained and snowed on), we were both glad we went.


One thing I will always do on fall trips in the future, and is a must for a fire ban - UCO candle lantern. It was amazing what a difference it made to have one candlepower of light and warmth (psychological and metaphorical, not physical) coming from the camp fire place. It was just bright enough to make a difference and not so bright that it ruined your vision for stargazing.


This trip changed my thinking on fire bans, they aren't trip killers, just something to plan around and be aware of like anything else that impacts a trip.


Also, being up there made me glad the ban was on. Even after some rain everything was very dry, and with the added tinder falling from the trees every day in the form of dry leaves and needles even a small carefully kept fire could be disastrous. Better to have some campfireless nights than a generation of burned out areas. Thanks USFS!
 
Findian
10/31/2024 05:51PM
  
LindenTree: "Campfires are over rated IMO. I camped in the BWCAW 75 nites in the last two years and had a fire 4 or 5 times, and I never started one of them. I will agree that the ambiance of fire or candle is nice. I recently bought a Solo Stove, not for the BW but for car camping. The work and smoke created from campfires out weigh the benefits for me."


I agree. This is getting back to nature. You start to see in the dark and hear stuff you miss with a fire. However, I grew up with wood heat and it sucks.
 
LindenTree
10/31/2024 04:03PM
  
Campfires are over rated IMO. I camped in the BWCAW 75 nites in the last two years and had a fire 4 or 5 times, and I never started one of them. I will agree that the ambiance of fire or candle is nice. I recently bought a Solo Stove, not for the BW but for car camping. The work and smoke created from campfires out weigh the benefits for me.
 
BWCA
09/30/2024 03:08PM
  
Duluth, MN – September 30, 2024 –Due to continued dry conditions and worsening wildfire danger conditions, the Superior National Forest has issued an Emergency Forest Order 09-09-24-08 - effective October 1, 2024 - restricting the igniting, building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire or campfire, including charcoal grills and barbeques, coal, and woodburning stoves to reduce the likelihood of a wildfire within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) of the Superior National Forest. (Forest Order 09-09-24-08). BWCAW campfire restriction information and Exhibit A-Closure Map:

https://files.constantcontact.com/c12e8652901/74eef0cf-03b6-485b-b110-b901cbe7ffeb.pdf?rdr=true">Fire Ban Map

BWCAW campfire restrictions go into effect beginning Tuesday morning (00:01) a.m., October 1, 2024. Gas or propane cook stoves are allowed throughout the Superior National Forest, including the BWCAW and are a safer option than campfires. Stoves or grills fueled by charcoal, or any type of wood are not allowed. These restrictions will continue until further notice.

In addition to the campfire restriction effect, the Superior National Forest is reinstating the Wood Lake Fire closure restrictions, to close Wood, Good, Hula, and Indiana Lakes and connecting portages.

“We have seen warmer and dryer conditions across much of the Superior National Forest, especially within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. We want the recreating public to be safe as they enjoy the Forest,” stated Tom Hall, Superior National Forest Supervisor.

The potential for wildfire is high across all ownerships in northern Minnesota at this time. It is extremely important that people area careful with any sources of ignition such as smoking devices, dragging chains, and recreational vehicles. If you are in a location where you can have a campfire outside the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, consider if the conditions are right and if you need a fire. Be sure to keep your campfire small and put it out cold to the touch whenever you leave it. All permitted campfires must be attended all times.
 
egknuti
10/01/2024 02:34PM
  
CanoeCos: "Bummed as well, planning to go in next week. Any chance this gets lifted with lower temps alone, or will it take a good rainfall? Hoping for rain in the next 10 days, but the forecast doesn't look promising..."
The only way the ban will be lifted is with significant rain.