Prescribed Fire
What is Prescribed Fire?
Prescribed Fire is any fire ignited by management actions to meet specific objectives. We use it as a tool for
- fuels reduction,
- vegetation management, and
- wildlife habitat maintenance.
Planning a prescribed burn begins months in advance. A written, approved prescribed fire plan must be completed, control measures such as firelines must be established, notification to the public must be made, and mitigation measure to protect values at risk must be set prior to ignition.
Visit the national website for more information on prescribed fire within the Forest Service.
Supplemental Information Report - Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Fuels FEIS
Planned Prescribed Fires
These are the planned prescribed fires for the current year for the Superior National Forest.
- The West Zone map shows planned prescribed fires for LaCroix, Laurentian and Kawishiwi Ranger Districts.
- The East Zone map shows planned prescribed fires for the Tofte and Gunflint Ranger Districts.
Ely Area
- Bear Island (121 acres) is located ten miles south of Ely, MN and one mile east of St. Louis County Highway 21; Township 61N, Range 13W, Sections 10 and 15
- Canary (60 acres) is located at the intersection of Highway 21 and County Road 120, between Canary and Blueberry Lakes, seven miles south of Ely, MN in St. Louis County; Township 61N, Range 12W, Sections 4 and 5.
- Geraldine (289 acres) is located one-half mile west of the North Arm Rd, east of Geraldine Lake, approximately seven miles NE of Ely, MN; Township 63 North, Range 13 West, Section 4.
- Fenske (212 acres) is six miles north of Ely, MN 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 on-half miles southeast of Ely, MN; Township 62N, Range 12W, Section 1.
- Fernberg Remote Automatic Weather Station (RAWS) (5 acres) is located at Township 63N, Range 9W, and Section 8
Orr Area
- Kinmount (97 acres) is located north of Orr, MN, northwest of Ash Lake, and west of Highway 53; Township 67 North, Range 21 West, Sections 20, 27, 28, 29 and 34.
- Lisa (96 acres) is located northeast of Orr, MN and along County Rd 116 (Echo Trail); Township 65 North, Range 14 West, Sections 6 & 7 and Township 65 North, Range 15 West, Section 1.
Cook Area
- Norwegian Island-Vermilion Lake (9 acres) is located on the west end of Norwegian Bay of Lake Vermilion, north of Cook, MN; Township 63 North, Range 18 West, Section 13.
- LaCroix Pond (2 acres) is located on the north side of Cook, MN at the LaCroix Ranger District office site; Township 62 North, Range 18 West, Section 18.
Virginia Area
- Integrator (139 acres) is located near the junction of County Road 65 and MN State Highway 73, west of Lake Leander and northwest of Virginia, MN; Township 60N, Range 20W, Sections 12, 13, 14, 15, 22 and 23.
- Rosalie (20 acres) is located south of Lake Leander, Lake Fourteen, and County Rd 65 located northwest of Virginia, MN; Township 60N, Range 19W, Sections 22 and 23.
- Fourteen (87 acres) is located south of Lake Leander, Lake Fourteen, and County Road 65 located northwest of Virginia, MN; Township 60N, Range 19W, Sections 22 and 23.
- Jack Pine Bay (48 acres) is located south of Highway 1 north of Virginia, MN and west of Tower, MN; Township 61 North, Range 17 West, Sections 13 and 14.
Brimson Area
- Murphy Lake (80 acres) is near the Toimi area, 2 miles south of Murphy Lake and 4 miles east of Brimson, MN; Township 56N, Range 11W, Section 20.
Hoyt Lakes Area
- Skibo Helispot (7 acres) is located seven miles southeast of Hoyt Lakes, MN; Township 58N, Range 13W, Section 21.
- Skibo Vista (27 acres) is located eight miles southeast of Hoyt Lakes, MN; Township 57 North, Range 13 West, Section 8.
Isabella Area
- Tanner Lake (226 acres) is six miles east of Isabella off Forest Road (FR) 172 and FR 174 in Lake County, MN; Township 59N, Range 7W, Section 5,8.
- Shack (142 acres) is approximately eight miles northeast of Isabella, along the Wanless Rd; Township 60 North, Range 6 West, Sections 9 and 16
Tofte Area
- Bandit South (92 acres) is approximately 15 miles northwest of Tofte, along FR 1287 or the Two Moose Trail: Township 60 North, Range 6 West, Sections 9 and 16
- Wildlife management prescribed fire including
- Hoist Lake - six acres at Township 60N, Range 7W, Section 35,
- Christmas Tree - six acres at Township 59N, Range 5W, Sections 3 & 4.,
- Richy Lake - 15 acres at Township 59N, Range 5W, Section 3,
- Plouff Creek - 13 acres Township 61N, Range 4W, Section 18.
- Kawishiwi Lakes (1,911 acres) is located 18 miles north of Tofte at the intersection of the Sawbill Trail and the Perent Lake Rd; Township 62 N, Range 5 W, Sections 25, 26, 35 and 36; T61N, R5W, Sec1; T62N R4W Secs 30, 31; T61N, R4W, Sec 6.
Gunflint Trail Area
- Sunfish Lake (775 acres) is located south of Greenwood Lake, off the Gunflint Trail (Cook Cty 14), in Township 64N, Range 2E, Sections 25,26, 27, 34, 35, and 36 in Cook County.
Burn Preparation Information
Site-specific burn plans are developed for each prescribed burn. Burn plans must be developed according to national standards.
During the planning phase, specialists conduct resource surveys to identify areas with cultural or natural resources that could be affected and need to be protected during burns. The burn plan includes measures to protect sensitive resources including threatened, endangered, or sensitive species.
For example, if an eagle’s nest is present near or within a prescribed fire area, vegetation may be cleared around the nest and sprinkler systems may be set up to protect the nest.
Specialists also evaluate fuel characteristics, topography, the location of buildings, and ways to mitigate undesirable impacts such as smoke. Ideal weather conditions are also identified. A step-by-step plan to light the fire and then hold the control line by reinforcing it with, for instance, water from hose lines or water dropped from helicopters. Burn plans are finalized with reviews from other resource specialists and line officers.
Part of the preparation for a prescribed burn may include
- clearing control lines,
- establishing helispots (temporary landing places for helicopters),
- and scheduling back-up crews and equipment.
Public notification and coordination with other agencies is also part of preparation.
Prescribed burns are usually ignited by either hand crews on the ground with drip torches or explosives or by air with a helicopter or airplane or a combination of these methods.
Following ignition, fire crews monitor the progress of the burn, patrol to observe behavior of the fire and take actions, when needed, to make sure that the fire stays within the predetermined unit boundaries.
After the unit has burned, fire crews mop-up (put out hot spots) and patrol the area to make sure the fire is out.
Prescribed Fire Plans identify weather and fuel conditions appropriate for conducting prescribed fire. These conditions are a balance of the fire behavior need to meet objectives and the ability for holding resources to control the fire. Fire behavior modeling programs are used to identify the weather and fuel conditions that produce the fire behavior necessary to meet those conditions. Weather and fuel parameters that are given additional consideration include:
- Wind: In the boreal forest systems most large fires are a result of high wind conditions. Eye level wind speeds in excess of 25 miles per hour have been found to be problematic at times. Therefore, when planning a prescribed burn wind conditions are continually monitored.
- Drought: The other variable that has been present during large fire events in boreal system is dry fuel conditions. Prolonged lack of moisture produces drought conditions which results in dry fuel conditions. Drought codes are monitored to ensure fuel conditions are not too dry. For more information on drought indices visit the NOAA website. The Canadian Fire Behavior Prediction System is used to monitor drought conditions on the Superior National Forest.
There are a limited number of days each year that meet the conditions appropriate to conduct prescribed burning. On a give year there are 10-20 days which prescribed fire can be conducted.
Typically, prescribed fire conditions are most appropriate in early spring and fall.
In early spring, fuel conditions are drier because vegetation is coming out of dormancy. Once green-up occurs, vegetation is at full water content and holds moistures making it difficult to burn.
In the fall, vegetation is beginning to go into dormancy and water content is beginning to drop off. Also in the fall time, the shorter days create condition which do not support high intensity fire or prolonged burning which can be problematic from a control stand point.
The following list summarizes the steps taken to keep the public informed of planned prescribed burns in the BWCAW. Most of these steps are followed for all prescribed burns.
- Burn Plan: Site-specific public notifications are identified for each prescribed burn unit during the preparation of the burn plan.
- Yearly: A summary and map of planned prescribed burns is prepared annually. The summary and map are posted on the Superior National Forest website, and provided via a network that includes Forest Service personnel, Reserve America, cooperators, other businesses, partner agencies, media, private organizations, community contacts, and the tourism industry. Meetings are held with residents, businesses, and organizations in advance of prescribed burns to present information and answer questions.
- Week Prior to Burning: Advisories will be posted via the notification network, in campgrounds, entry points and at all permitting offices.
- 1-2 Days Prior to Burning: local residents, business, and cooperators are notified.
- During a Prescribed Burn: Updates will be provided to the public as available.
Sign Up for Prescribed Fire Notifications
Use our Keep In Touch form to sign up for email notifications of prescribed fires and other forest information.