Hello from the End of the Road.

The Pagami Creek Fire has made national news.  Our friends and relatives in Wisconsin and Chicago have seen smoke and smelled smoke from it.  Ironically, for several days, there has been little or no detection of smoke in the immediate Ely area.

Today is a beautiful day.  Blue Skies.  Sun on our backs.

We wanted to clear up some misconceptions and also get the facts out there for those of you that have interest in this ongoing forest fire.

First of all, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness has open entry points in the Ely Area.  There are entry points that have been closed.  If you have an upcoming permit for one of these areas, you can get a new replacement permit for an entry point that is currently open.  We can help you re-route your trip.

 

BWCAW CLOSURES: The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) closures remain the same. All entry points are closed except: entry points along the Echo Trail (including Mudro); #25 Moose Lake (travel allowed only up the chain and to the west); #26 Wood Lake; #24 Fall Lake; the whole Trout Lake section (separate section south of the Echo Trail); #42 Brule ONLY; #54A Seagull ONLY; #55A Saganaga ONLY; and the Vento section (small separate section northeast of the Gunflint Trail).  

 

 

Drew and Adam have been booking trips and continue to help our September trippers have wonderful experiences in the wilderness.  Travel by canoe at this time of the year is truly amazing.  The Autumn colors are really beginning to pop out there.

"Boundary Waters Bliss", Click for a bigger picture

Our Chamber of Commerce has put out some great information and we'd like to share it with you:

Everyone needs to be personally responsible for their own health.  We cannot control the wind, or promise clear air.  Smoke in the air changes as the air shifts.

The Pagami Creek Fire is making headline news, and there is common misconception that the fire is affecting all of the BWCAW.

Ely is open for business as usual.  Area activities such as hiking, biking, canoeing, fishing, etc. are still taking place.

Key Points

 

• While the forest fire is impacting a portion of the BWCAW, Ely businesses are open as usual.  This includes outfitters and lodging facilities.
• There are many BWCAW entry points that remain open.
• Visitor safety is of utmost importance, and representatives in the Ely area are actively monitoring reports and in communication with emergency personnel to ensure the safety of all visitors to Ely.
• We are not experiencing smoke in the Ely area.
• The fall season is upon us and is a beautiful time to visit the area.

 
 

Additional Information For Reference

 

 

• Wildland fires/forest fires are a natural occurrence in the forest landscapes of Northeastern Minnesota.  Forest health is dependent upon forest fires.
• Pagami Creek is a lightning-caused wildland fire detected on August 18, 2011.
• The original fire began 14 miles east of Ely within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in the Pagami Creek area.
• From Sunday, September 11 through Tuesday, September 14, the fire grew to over 100,000 acres.
• All but the very eastern edge of the Pagami Creek Fire is in Lake County, MN.
• A Type I incident command team is assigned to the fire in Ely, MN and a Type II incident command team is based in Grand Marais.
• In Cook County, a precautionary closure of all BWCAW entry points west of the Gunflint Trail has been made, except for Brule Lake, only, Seagull Lake, only, Saganaga Lake, only.  The Vento Unit entry points of the BWCAW (north and east of the Gunflint Trail) remain open. In addition, back roads have been closed to travel in many areas.  The closures allow fire fighters to concentrate on fire fighting.  Most of the entry points in the Ely area are open.
• Although the Pagami Creek Fire continues to burn in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, today's much cooler temperatures are helping to keep the fire from spreading.

Sincerely,
Tim Stouffer
Piragis Northwoods Company