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Boundary Waters closing due to wildfires, extreme heat
The U.S. Forest Service is closing all entry points to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness within the Superior National Forest in northern Minnesota due to wildfires burning in the area and extreme weather conditions. FOX 9 All Day spoke to Carl Madsen, owner of Rockwood Lodge and Outfitters, about how they're notifying guests of their canceled permits.
ELY, Minn. (FOX 9) - The U.S. Forest Service announced it is closing the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, starting Tuesday, July 14, due to ongoing wildfires and extreme weather conditions.
All BWCAW entry points closed, reservations canceled
What we know:
The Forest Service is closing all BWCAW entry points effective Tuesday, July 14 at 12:01 a.m., according to an alert on recreation.gov.
Overnight reservations with entry dates of Monday, July 13 through Friday, July 17 are canceled. Day-use reservations with entry dates of Tuesday, July 14 through Friday, July 17 are also canceled. Full refunds have already been processed for reservations affected by the closure.
Officials had already closed public access to the Gunflint Ranger District and several other portions of the BWCAW last week due to wildfires. A full campfire ban has been in effect for the area since Friday.
Walz declares emergency for northern Minnesota wildfires
Big picture view:
Officials say 17 wildfires have ignited in the Boundary Waters area over the past week amid dry conditions, prompting Red Flag Warnings. On Sunday, Gov. Tim Walz declared a peacetime emergency due to the wildfires. He also mobilized the Minnesota National Guard to support fire crews working to combat the fires.
The governor said the order came at the request of the Department of Natural Resources.
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MN wildfires: 19 fires burning in northern MN
Gov. Tim Walz has declared an emergency as 19 wildfires are burning in northern Minnesota.
What they're saying:
In a statement Sunday, Gov. Walz said: "Wildfires have broken out in northeastern Minnesota and are putting local communities at risk. This emergency declaration allows for the mobilization of additional resources necessary to protect lives, prevent damage, and help the Minnesota DNR and our local communities respond. Minnesotans extend our deepest gratitude to the firefighters, members of the Minnesota National Guard, and all our first responders working around the clock to keep their neighbors safe."
What's next:
The Minnesota National Guard is providing personnel, equipment, and resources to assist with wildfire suppression and emergency response efforts.
Red Flag Warning issued for 13 counties
The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for 13 counties in northern Minnesota effective Monday, July 13, from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. due to extreme fire danger.
The following counties are affected:
- Beltrami
- Carlton
- Cass
- Clearwater
- Cook
- Hubbard
- Itasca
- Koochiching
- Marshall
- Lake
- Lake of the Woods
- Roseau
- St. Louis.
A Red Flag Warning means fires can spread quickly and grow out of control under the predicted weather conditions, including very high temperatures, strong wind gusts and low relative humidity.
The Red Flag Warning comes as Minnesota is experiencing a bout of extremely hot weather. An extreme heat warning is in effect for northern Minnesota and the Twin Cities metro area. North Dakota and northern Wisconsin are also affected.
Extreme heat warning as of Monday morning. (FOX 9)
Temperatures are expected to reach the mid-90s across the metro, with some areas in northern Minnesota possibly hitting triple digits.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
The Source: Information in this story comes from the U.S. Forest Service