John Ek and Whelp Fire Closure Lifted in the BWCAW

(Sarah Shapiro/USDA Forest Service via AP)

DULUTH, Minn. – Forest officials say they are lifting the remaining closures in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness effective today.

The last of the closures were the John Ek and Whelp Fire closures which are being lifted because of the low fire activity and decreasing fire danger due to fall weather conditions and rain.

In September the forest received three to six inches of rain which has helped mitigate fire activity and limited the potential for heat to spread.

“We have not seen any smoke from the fire for a couple of weeks now, and we feel comfortable lifting this closure as this fire is unlikely to spread much, if at all,” said Patty Johnson, East Zone Fire Management Officer for the Superior National Forest.

Fire officials say this announcement means the BWCAW is fully open again after a very active 2021 fire season.

The Greenwood Fire perimeter area closure is now the only remaining fire-related closure on the forest.