Foss Lake Prescribed Burn, May 14, 2017

Date Issued:
May 13, 2017. Anticipated ignition as early as May 14, 2017. The date of ignition for this fire is dependent on many factors including fuel and soil moisture, wind direction, current weather, predicted weather, and resources.  

Prescribed Fire Information:
218-208-3969 or snfwestzonepio@gmail.com. For more prescribed fire information, check the Superior National Forest website: Prescribed Fire Information 

Location:
In northeastern Minnesota, in St. Louis County on the LaCroix Ranger District of the Superior National Forest approximately 10 miles west of Ely, MN and north of the Wolf Lake Road, between Foss Lake and the BWCAW. T63N R14W S35. (Map attached.) 

Description:
The purpose of this 78-acre unit is for both fuels reduction and oak/blueberry habitat improvement. The area is a combination of open rock outcroppings and forested drainages where fuels treatment can both help reduce surface and ladder fuels and reduce vegetation that competes with oak trees and blueberry plants. Reducing the hazardous fuels component in this unit is part of a larger fuels treatment effort in the Burntside Lake area. This unit will create another area in addition to recent Burntside Lake prescribed fire units where available fuels in the forest are reduced and therefore lower the intensity of future wildfires when they occur.

Resources: 
Holding crews and ignition crews of firefighters using hand tools will be working directly on the prescribed fire unit.  Due to the remote location of this unit, crews will be using ATVs and hiking to gain access for holding and ignition operations.

Closures:
There will be no closures needed during this prescribed fire. Depending on wind direction, some residents and visitors may experience smoke, potentially on Burntside and Wolf Lakes, or Crab, Buck, Cummings, Slim Lakes in the BWCAW.



Superior National Forest           US Forest Service