Turtle Lake Fire
From BWCAWiki
The 2006 Turtle Lake Fire burned about 15 miles east of Ely, Minnesota in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
The much larger Cavity Lake Fire burned the area between Seagull Lake and Gabimichigami Lake during the same time.
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Location and extent
The Turtle Lake Fire stretched from Turtle Lake in the west to Pietro Lake and Gull Lake in the east, Clearwater Lake in the north, and Bald Eagle Lake in the south. This area is in the south-central BWCAW, immediately north of Bald Eagle Lake and about three miles southwest of Lake One.
The size of the fire was measured at 2,085 acres as of August 3, 2006.
Origin
This fire was started by a lightning strike on the eastern shore of Turtle Lake on July 7, 2006. The fire was detected on July 13.
Management
The fire was closely monitored and firefighters used water to limit its spread. The fire was used to achieve resource benefits as described in the Forest Service's Wildland Fire Use guidelines.
Recreation closures
At the height of the fire, the Forest Service closed portages and campsites on Turtle Lake, Pietro Lake, Gull Lake, Camdre Lake, Clearwater Lake, Bald Eagle Lake, and Little Gabbro Lake. No canoeists were allowed into the area from Lake One, and the Weasel PMA was closed. The Snake River entry point #84 was closed, as was the Pow Wow Hiking Trail.
External links
- Minnesota Incident Command System
- Turtle Lake fire spreads, Duluth News Tribune, July 19, 2006
- Crews work to quell Turtle Lake fire, Duluth News Tribune, July 18, 2006
