Officials with the Superior National Forest are ending the temporary campfire ban in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, after recent rainfall eased fire danger across northern Minnesota.
The order took effect last weekend as a prolonged dry spell raised the risk of wildfires. It was initially set to run through the end of the month.
But the fire danger is now low enough for the Forest Service to end the campfire ban, starting Friday.
Officials are still asking wilderness visitors to follow standard precautions with campfires and cook stoves.
Similar bans were put in place in the Boundary Waters in 2023, and again in 2024.
The Forest Service also announced this week that two small wildfires in the wilderness sparked by lightning last weekend have now been contained.
The Loon Fire burned about 16 acres near Loon Lake, east of Crane Lake. And the Tiger Fire burned about an acre between Tiger and Boulder bays on Lac La Croix.
A third lightning-caused fire — the Buck Fire — has burned about a quarter-acre about 15 miles northwest of Ely.
“Weather conditions have prevented another flight over the fire, however rain has fallen in the area over the past couple of days and we anticipate that this has prevented fire spread,” the Forest Service reported Wednesday. “Access to the fire’s location is very difficult and the risk to firefighters high, compared to the observed fire activity.”
“When conditions allow, fire managers will take a flight over this fire to make sure that it hasn’t grown or become active again. If fire activity changes, firefighters may be transported to the fire to take direct suppression actions.”
