Live: Forest Service closing Boundary Waters due to fires and extreme heat - Star Tribune
Wildfires in Minnesota's Superior National Forest have forced the closure of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and prompted evacuations near Ely. Extreme heat and dry conditions have caused the fires to spread rapidly, with smoke expected to impact air quality across the state.
Why it matters
The closure of a major wilderness area and the threat to local communities highlight the increasing frequency and severity of climate-driven natural disasters.
Smoke from the wildfires burning in northern Minnesota and across the border in Canada is expected to affect much of the state this week, according to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA).
The smoke plumes are expected to begin to push southward over the next 24 hours.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is predicting hazardous air quality over much of the Minnesota Arrowhead, with unhealthy to very unhealthy air quality over a large portion of central and eastern Minnesota. The agency has an air quality alert in effect until Friday morning.
Public access to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) is closed . Wildfires in the Superior National Forest, where the Boundary Waters sits, have raged and swelled in size in the last few days as dangerous heat and dry conditions have swept the state.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in