ELY- The Bear Trap Fire has emerged as one of the highest priorities for wildfire crews battling the sprawling complex of blazes across the Superior National Forest after advancing to within about a mile of structures around Big Lake, prompting firefighters Friday to shift resources and begin developing a strategy to protect the area.
The concern at Big Lake comes as more than 77,000 acres continue to burn across 16 wildfires in and around the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Superior National Forest. The fires have forced widespread evacuations and closures across portions of the BWCAW and Superior National Forest, an outbreak officials described as unlike anything the current incident management team has encountered. "We have never seen anything like this," said Jason Loomis with the National Incident Management Organization. "I'm sure some locals that have been here quite a while have seen events very similar to this. But this is unprecedented."
During a Friday briefing at the Kawishiwi Ranger Station in Ely, Loomis said the fire's recent movement south toward the Echo Trail and developed areas around Big Lake, about 15 miles northeast of Ely, prompted officials to shift resources and begin developing a strategy for protecting the area.
"There is significant infrastructure on the Echo Trail as well as Big Lake resorts, cabins, homes, all kinds of infrastructure that we are prioritizing our resources to get them out there and protect those values," Loomis said.
The combined Bear Trap and Dark fires have grown to about 13,500 acres. According to the Superior National Forest's Friday update, the fire has crossed into Canada and advanced to within one-half mile of the Echo Trail while exhibiting extreme fire behavior, including crowning, torching and spotting. Lodge of Whispering Pines, Big Lake Wilderness Lodge, private homes and U.S. Forest Service facilities are among the structures in the area.
Loomis said crews have shifted resources from the Sioux and Camp fires to evaluate conditions around Big Lake and develop a suppression strategy. Additional aircraft and specialized hotshot crews could be deployed if conditions warrant, although Friday's efforts were focused primarily on assessing fire behavior and determining the most effective tactics.
Elsewhere, officials stressed the situation near Crane Lake remains considerably different.
Mike Hill with the Minnesota Incident Command System said crews are managing 11 fires west of Echo Lake and east of U.S. Highway 53.
"Our strategy there is to keep these as small as possible so that they don't threaten the areas around them," Hill said. "Probably the most notable value there in the area of our fires is the community of Crane Lake."
Hill said firefighters have concentrated on the fires posing the greatest potential risk to Crane Lake and its only access road while working steadily toward containment.