Posted
Keith Vandervort
ELY– The U.S. Forest Service reported several fires in the Ely area late last week due to extremely dry conditions and a lightning storm on July 4. Hot shot crews continued to battle the largest, the Delta Lake fire, this week, as worsening drought has pushed the fire danger to extreme.
The Delta Lake fire is burning in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, in a thicket of waist- to chest-high blowdown dating back to 2016, that is hampering firefighter access, according to an update from the Forest Service’s Incident Command Team, which assumed unified command over the fire cluster response early Saturday morning.
Boundary Waters fire grows as drought conditions continue grandforksherald.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from grandforksherald.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
ELY, Minn. (AP) â Forest Service officials have temporarily banned campfires in the Superior National Forest, including the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, and closed some lakes and access points because of four wildfires burning in the area.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is reporting high or very high wildfire danger across most of northern Minnesota.
The Delta fire is the largest and is burning south of Snowbank Lake about 19 miles (30.5 kilometers) east of Ely. Officials estimated it at 62 acres in size and believe it was caused by lightning, Minnesota Public Radio News reported.
âThe Delta fire is burning in heavy blowdown, and itâs very difficult conditions for our firefighters and resources to work with,â said public information officer Christine Kolinski with the Superior National Forest. âTheyâre having to use chainsaws to cut out safety zones (for firefighters) to put a line around the fire and try to contain it.â