Some Boundary Waters entry points to reopen on Monday
Portions of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness will reopen for day use starting Monday, after wildfires prompted a rare closure of the forest last week.
The U.S. Forest Service says the reopening impacts select entry points of the Gunflint and Tofte districts on the eastern side of the forest. Overnight permits, on the other hand, will be canceled through Wednesday.
Officials say they're consistently reevaluating the closures, and anticipate reopening select areas for overnight use next weekend. However, that could change as the wildfires — which have ravaged over 72,300 acres of the forest — have yet to be contained. Forest service officials say the wildfires could smolder until the snow falls.
In recent days, crews have made progress in containing smaller fires west of Echo Lake and east of U.S. Highway 53. Evacuation alerts in St. Louis County west of Echo Trail and Crane Lake have been completely lifted.
Officials say winds from the south could bring warmer temperatures to the area over the weekend. That combination of winds and hot, dry air could elevate fire weather conditions.
The Bear Trap fire, which covers 37,837 acres, is 38% contained, and the Thumb fire, which is 17,199 total acres, is 56% contained as of Friday afternoon. Both of the fires reach into Canada.
Cassidy and Matt Ritter own Voyageurs Canoe Outfitters, situated along the Gunflint Trail. While some access points in Cook County are set to reopen for day use on Monday, those are further east from the Ritters.
"On our side of the Boundary Waters, we are closest to the Little Knife Fire, but encouraging for our neighbors and friends and other business owners in the area," Matt Ritter said.
As of Friday, the Little Knife Fire, which originated in Ontario and crossed into the U.S., has burned roughly 4,598 acres and is 13% contained.
Cassidy Ritter described the area as "a ghost town" since the full closure was ordered more than a week ago. Access points near their business remain closed and permits for overnight use across the Boundary Waters are cancelled through next Wednesday. The future for the Ritters is still uncertain.
"We're taking it day for day trying to pick up different income sources, trying to help out neighbors, trying to help out the Forest Service," Matt Ritter said.
Lake County residents who are under an evacuation order due to the wildfires were able to visit their respective properties on Thursday. The sheriff's office said deputies escorted them to and from their estates.
"We anticipate that around 110 properties were visited with approximately 250 people," Lake County Sheriff's Office Deputy Tim Luoma said.
