Storms start to move out of Minnesota, continue for western Wisconsin

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Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton said Friday that the state will do whatever it can to protect people whose homes are threatened by the still completely uncontained Pagami Creek fire that has burned for nearly a month in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. 

Dayton, along with Minnesota Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken and Republican 8th District Rep. Chip Cravaack, flew over the 100,000 acre blaze Friday and met with firefighters and forest officials in Ely who are managing the fire. 

The politicians all said now is not the time to question federal policy that directs how fires in wilderness areas can be fought. 

 on Friday criticizing the policy behind the initial decision to let the fire burn as "nuts." But after getting an explanation from fire officials during the tour, his stance changed. 


"Now is not the time to be pointing fingers," said Cravaack. "Right now is the time to learn lessons from this fire. Let's make sure we learn from this one, and let's prevent the next one." 

 
Superior National Forest officials say they plan an extensive review of the fire and management decisions after the incident is over. 


Some residents of Isabella have criticized the U.S. Forest Service for not extinguishing the fire when it first started on Aug. 18. Unprecedented and unpredictable weather conditions then helped push the fire to its current size. 

Similar weather may be ahead, after days of cool temperatures. Fire information officer Doug Anderson said warmer, dryer and windier conditions are forecast. 


"The fire's just been sleeping the last couple of days, with cool days, cold nights," he said. "We've had a little precipitation, and not a lot of wind, so the fire's just been sleeping there. Today it's going to wake up a little bit, we just don't know how much."

At a briefing Friday morning for firefighters, Superior National Forest District Ranger Mark Van Every warned that the fire's northeast edge is close to more of the 1999 blowdown area. 

"When it hits that it can create its own weather," he said. "The highest priority is public and firefighter safety, so when we get into that situation as we found out on Monday that fire can move a lot faster than we think it can."


Van Every also announced a complete fire ban for the entire Superior National Forest. About 500 firefighters are now working to contain the wildfire, Minnesota's largest in nearly a century. 

The  icons contain photos of the burn area before the fire started. The  icons show closed entry points. The  icons indicate entry points that are still open to use as of Friday, Sept. 16, 2011.

Gallery

'Hotshots' adapt to watery wilderness of BWCA wildfire

Photos: BWCA firefighting grows more complex

Biologists: BWCA fire will help moose habitat

Before the Boundary Waters fire: Your photographs

Climatologist:  Frost was unusually early and widespread

Minnesota forest fire stalls in cooler weather

Rocky Mountain team takes over Pagami Creek fire management

FAQ: Boundary Waters fire

Dan Kraker

Author

The governor said today the state will do whatever it can to protect homes threatened by the fire. Officials also warned the blaze would "wake up" in coming days as dryer conditions take hold.

Dayton pledges support for homeowners affected by BWCA fire

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