Overview
- The U.S. Forest Service announced on July 13 that the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness will fully close at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, July 14, canceling permits and processing refunds for affected reservations.
- Governor Tim Walz declared a peacetime emergency on Sunday, July 12, and mobilized the Minnesota National Guard to provide personnel, equipment and logistical support for firefighting and emergency response.
- Officials report roughly 17 to 19 active fires ignited by July 6 lightning strikes across the Superior National Forest and nearby Quetico Provincial Park, and hot, dry, windy weather with Red Flag Warnings is increasing fire behavior.
- Fire crews face limits inside the BWCAW because wilderness rules require minimum‑impact tactics, so managers are using hand crews and limited aircraft in the wilderness and heavier equipment where allowed outside the boundary.
- Closures, a campfire ban, drone restrictions, entry‑point shutdowns and evacuation alerts are in place now, officials are giving daily updates on InciWeb and local forest pages, and communities and recreation economies near Ely and Crane Lake may face short‑term disruption.