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Serving Northern St. Louis County, Minnesota

Fire season

With area in drought, Forest Service gears up for possible high fire danger

Keith Vandervort
Posted 4/30/15

ELY—This week’s moderate fire conditions allowed the U.S. Forest Service to make progress towards their goal of reducing forest fuels in several areas around Ely.

Forest Service fire crews …

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Fire season

With area in drought, Forest Service gears up for possible high fire danger

Posted

ELY—This week’s moderate fire conditions allowed the U.S. Forest Service to make progress towards their goal of reducing forest fuels in several areas around Ely.

Forest Service fire crews managed to burn about 100 acres around Slim Lake, near the North Arm of Burntside Lake, on Monday.

“Fire managers anticipate good conditions for prescribed burning over the next couple of weeks” said Becca Manlove, a spokesperson for the Superior National Forest Kawishiwi Ranger District.

Crews tended this week’s prescribed burn under what burn chief Timo Rova, called “perfect conditions.”

The Forest Service used a helicopter to ignite the fire, with its crew dropping fire bombs. “The [helicopter] works the interior of the burn unit here and the crews on the ground work the perimeter,” Rova said. “We have a light wind and good ground moisture for this start of the season.”

“Although news reports highlight the wildfire danger during this time of the year, these conditions are ideal for prescribed burning when the wind speed and direction facilitate good fuel consumption,” Manlove said.

Officials hope to complete several moose habitat and fuel reduction projects this spring. “The specific units chosen for treatment will depend on many factors including wind direction, moisture in soil and fuels, and topography,” she said

The areas most likely to be burned first this spring are along the North Arm of Burntside Lake and south of the Ely airport.

Fire managers were pleased with the progress of the Slim Lake burn, Manlove said. The highest level of smoke registered on an air monitor at the Ely Hospital was 18 which falls into the ‘good’ or ‘green’ category (0-50) in the Air Quality Index.

Crews continued to monitor the burn area for several days this week.

Conditions change rapidly. Earlier on Monday a burn plan was released for the Kangas Lake area south of the Ely airport. “Then fuel moisture and weather models made the Slim Lake Unit north of the north arm of Burntside the better choice over the Kangas Unit south of the airport,” Manlove said. 

Deciding on when and where to burn involves many aspects. Fuel moisture and weather models, including relative humidity, wind direction, and likely precipitation are some factors,” she said. “Wind speed is not the simple prediction of speed on the day of the burn. It includes the potential for wind events looking forward two or three days. And the balance is always between enough wind to carry the fire and not so much wind that control is difficult.”

A burn plan has been written for each area to be part of a prescribed burn, Manlove said. “Each unit is prepared with construction of control lines, hand reduction of ladder fuels, and other measures enabling fire fighters to control the burn at the perimeter.”

The plan includes measures to restore habitat for wildlife dependent on disturbance and to protect sensitive resources including threatened, endangered, or sensitive species. “For example, if an eagle’s nest is present near or within a prescribed fire area, vegetation may be cleared around the nest and sprinkler systems may be set up to protect the nest,” she said.