Emergency Closure Of Large Part Of BWCAW In Northern Minnesota Closed Due To Wildfires, Campfire Bans Enacted
The U.S. Forest Service issued an emergency closure today of a sizable part of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Northern Minnesota due to wildfires in the area.
As of yesterday (July 9), there are 16 active wildfires in the Superior National Forest in Northern Minnesota, four of which are in the Boundary Waters. On July 7, five of those 16 wildfires were discovered.
Those wildfires in the Boundary Waters prompted the U.S. Forest Service to issue an emergency closure just before noon today (Friday, July 10), impacting the Bear Trap, Thumb, & Wolfpack wildfire areas (LaCroix & Kawishiwi Districts).
The closure map, seen below, spans from the closed Wheelbarrow Portage on the eastern side to Sand Point Lake on the western side.
This next map shows just how much of the Boundary Waters is impacted. The darker green areas are the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, and the red area is the wildfire closure area, a significant portion of the overall BWCAW footprint.
In order to protect the safety of the public, firefighters, and firefighting operations, several access points/trails/recreation sites have been closed, including:
- Angleworm Lake (OP) #20
- Angleworm Trail (OH) #21
- Blandin Trail (OH) #11
- Herriman Trail (OH) #13
- Little Indian Sioux River North (OP) #14
- Little Vermilion Lake (OP, OM) #12
- Lac La Croix Only (OP, OM) #12A
- Moose/Portage River North (OP) #16
- Mudro Lake – Restricted (OP) #22
- Mudro Lake (OP) #23
- South Hegman Lake #77 (OP) #77
- Stuart River (OP) #19
- Sioux Hustler Trail (OH) #15
The wildfires within the Boundary Waters are as follows (as of Friday afternoon, 7/10/26):
- Bear Trap Fire: 2 acres in size
- Newton Fire: 0.25 acres in size
- Thumb Fire: 20 acres in size
- Section 3 Pond Fire: 2 acres in size
Here's where those fires are in relation to the rest of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness:
Due to these fires and dry conditions, the Superior National Forest has also issued an emergency campfire restriction effective at 12:01 am on Saturday, July 11 within the BWCAW.
This order restricts the ignition, building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire or campfire, including charcoal grills and barbeques, coal, and wood-burning stoves, to reduce the likelihood of a wildfire. That restriction area is noted in red below.
These restrictions are in order until further notice. Gas or propane cook stoves are still allowed throughout the BWCAW. Stoves or grills fueled by charcoal or any type of wood are not allowed.
The Largest Minnesota Wildfires In Modern History
Gallery Credit: Nick Cooper