The U.S. Forest Service will close access to the Boundary Waters due to wildfires.
Due to extreme weather conditions and numerous wildfires burning within the Superior National Forest and BWCAW, they are closing the entire Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness to protect the health and safety of visitors and firefighters.
The closures impact all overnight reservations with entry dates of Monday. The closure, for now, lasts through this Friday, July 17.
All existing permits will be canceled. The closures also include day use.
Already, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources issued a Red Flag Warning. That is in effect from Monday morning through 10:00 p.m. Monday night across north central and northeast Minnesota.
Wind and low relative humidity mean fires could spread rapidly adding to an already active time for wildfires statewide. Karen Harrison is the statewide wildfire prevention specialist with the Minnesota DNR.
"With the current wildfire activity that we're seeing, obviously that can increase the fire behavior," Harrison says. "We've been very busy working to make sure that we have resources on hand, managing the priorities as best we can and protecting our firefighters as well as the public during this time."
Harrison tells Vineeta Sawkar on the WCCO Morning News there were 19 known wildfires as of Sunday night, four of which in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
"We saw a lot of dry patterns," Harrison adds. "I know we've gotten some rain in certain parts of the state, but in northeastern (Minnesota) in particular, it's been drier. They've had some storms come through, but not a lot of precipitation, and that also impacts how quickly things can change this time of year."
Temperatures in northern Minnesota are unusually high, with mid-90s expected all this week across the state. Even in places like International Falls, temperatures were expected to approach 100.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz declared a peacetime emergency and mobilized the National Guard on Sunday.
The U.S. Forest Service had already closed 225,000 acres of the BWCA on Sunday, but clearly the threat has grown.
The Minnesota National Guard will be assisting firefighting efforts by providing personnel, equipment and resources.
