BWCAW fire slows

“BWCAW fire slows

"WILDERNESS:The BWCAW's largest blaze since the 1999 blowdown is still burning, but doesn't threaten buildings or campers after a day of light winds.

BY JOHN MYERS
NEWS TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

ON SEA GULL LAKE - The sweet smell of wood smoke and the beefy sound of propeller-driven airplanes hung in the air at the end of the Gunflint Trail on Sunday as crews maintained their attack on the Alpine Lake fire in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness."

"The fire started in an area of dry jack pine and is on the northern edge of the infamous 1999 blowdown area. That's where strong winds toppled millions of trees, creating unprecedented amounts of fuel for fires."

last edited: 8/08/05 4:37:54 AM”

“Check out this website http://www.nifc.gov/fireinfo/nfn.html

It lists about all of the "going" fires in the US that federal support is working on.

Since you are from the south you might want to check this one out too: http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/sacc/

It is the Southern Area Coordination Center in Atlanta that is the region 8 command center for wildfire control.

Yerby Ray
Freighttrain”

“Thanks, freighttrain. I'm not a fire-chaser. But some articles about certain areas will get my attention.”

“No problem. I am a former forest ranger with the state who specialized in the urban/ wildland fire interface....fancy words for forestfires around populated areas. Nothing like getting paid to walk in the woods and preserve nature. I miss that career.

Some of the info on the sites are pretty cool and you can get some great weather info from there. Not just local conditions but long range forcasts and info on burning plans (red flag conditions.”

“Thanks again. I already have observed some of that from your links and I bookmarked the links.
last edited: 8/08/05 10:13:45 AM”

“New camp to further contain fire

"'We knock stuff down from the air but you have to go in on the ground to knock it out,' Anderson said.

Forest Service officials also closed more wilderness campsites on Red Rock Lake, bringing the number of closed campsites closed to 24."

”

“Intentional fires spark anger

"About 16 residents, including homeowners and outfitters, canoed and boated to the site of Thursday's intentional fire to show their disdain for the plan. Some had hoped to stop the intentional fire but, warned by the Cook County Sheriff's's Department, stopped short of taking action."

Now that their homes are relatively safe, thanks to the fire fighters, the residents now know more about firefighting than the firefighters. Obviously, they just want to save their views. Makes me kinda wish that the firefighters had let the fire continue unabated to consume the area, including the homes of these residents.

"Emotions were pretty high today. There was a lot of concern about the palisades area of the lake ... and it turns out the fire was going to be three-quarters of a mile away from that," Knight said. "The fire managers really are trying to balance the needs of putting out this active fire with the resident's aesthetic concerns. ... And they also want to minimize any future threat, to get rid of the fuel in there."

While some residents said they are willing to live with increased fire danger to keep more of their lakeshore green and unburned, fire officials say they can't take that chance.

Kris Reichenbach, spokeswoman for the Superior National Forest, said her agency has an obligation to other property owners to reduce fire danger.

"They may be willing to live with that risk, but others, and the general public, are not," Reichenbach said. "The first goal is to stop an active fire and then remove as much fuel in there if that fire should take off again, or for the next fire that comes along. We can't take those chances."

last edited: 8/12/05 6:56:27 AM”

“Things are winding down and opening back up there. The fire has been declared 100% contained on the US side, and is nearly contained on the Canadian side. It grew to over 75,000 acres.

There has been some rain, and even some snow - so the fire dangers have subsided some. It is still very dry and caution must be used. Fires are permited in the Superior National Forest in approved fire rings, but they are still RESTRICTED in the BWCA.

Current closures can be found at
http://www.hamlakefire.com”

“Thanks, ewla, and welcome to Trail Talk.”