REGIONAL— The air may smell a little smoky in the North Country over the next few weeks as the Superior National Forest gets its spring prescribed fire season underway.
Prescribed fires help reduce overgrown vegetation to protect local communities, infrastructure, and natural resources from wildfires.
On the forest’s west end, the following projects are planned for this spring, although the completion of any of them is dependent on weather conditions:
• Bear Island (121 acres) located ten miles south of Ely and one mile east of Cty. Hwy. 21; Township 61N, Range 13W, Sections 10 and 15.              
• Canary (60 acres) located at the intersection of Hwy. 21 and County Rd. 120, between Canary and Blueberry Lakes, Township 61N, Range 12W, Sections 4 and 5.
• Geraldine (289 acres) located one-half mile west of the North Arm Rd, east of Geraldine Lake, Township 63 North, Range 13 West, Section 4.         
• Fenske (212 acres) is six miles north of Ely, off County Rd. 116 (Echo Trail); Township 64N, Range 12W, Section 30.
• Deer Ridge (119 acres) is located on the Mushroom Island Rd and White Iron Lake, approximately two and one-half miles southeast of Ely, Township 62N, Range 12W, Section 1.
• Fernberg Remote Automatic Weather Station (RAWS) (5 acres) is located at Township 63N, Range 9W, and Section 8. 
• Kinmount (97 acres) is located northwest of Ash Lake, and west of Hwy. 53, Township 67 North, Range 21 West, Sections 20, 27, 28, 29 and 34.
• Norwegian Island-Lake Vermilion (9 acres) located on the west end of Norwegian Bay, Township 63 North, Range 18 West, Section 13.
• LaCroix Pond (2 acres) located on the north side of Cook at the LaCroix Ranger District office site, Township 62 North, Range 18 West, Section 18.
• Integrator (139 acres) located near the junction of County Rd. 65 and Hwy. 73, west of Lake Leander, Township 60N, Range 20W, Sections 12, 13, 14, 15, 22 and 23.
• Lisa (96 acres) located northeast of Orr along County Rd. 116 (Echo Trail), Township 65 North, Range 14 West, Sections 6 and 7, and Township 65 North, Range 15 West, Section 1.
• Fourteen (87 acres) located south of Lake Leander, Lake Fourteen, and County Road 65, Township 60N, Range 19W, Sections 22 and 23.
• Jack Pine Bay (48 acres) located south of Hwy. 1, Township 61 North, Range 17 West, Sections 13 and 14.
• Tanner Lake (226 acres) located six miles east of Isabella off FR 172 and FR 174 in Lake County, Township 59N, Range 7W, Sections 5 and 8.
Shack (142 acres) located approximately eight miles northeast of Isabella, along the Wanless Rd., Township 60 North, Range 6 West, Sections 9 and 16
Prescribed fires may close these areas to the public for several days. Watch for warning signs along roads near all prescribed fire areas before and during prescribed fire operations.