Fire on the Gunflint Trail

     The USFS is hoping to conduct a prescribed burn on the Gunflint Trail, maybe as early as Friday.  There’s an area of blowdown down about 17 miles from here near Tucker Lake that they would like to clean up.  This will hopefully protect the area in the event of a forest fire.

     I get a strange feeling in my stomach just thinking about a fire being started on the Gunflint Trail.  My shoulders tense up along with the rest of my body and I forget to breathe. If there was an anxiety meter attached to me it would be in the red zone.

     I have complete faith in the USFS to control a prescribed burn.  They have had alot of practice and they know what they are doing. In spite of knowing that I am still scared.  I’m afraid to smell the smoke, see the flames and have all of the fire personnel around the Trail.  Talk about PTSD, I’m already freaking out. 

     The GTVFD has been asked to provide a fire truck to be on standby.  Of course they want people in the truck too and I just can’t imagine volunteering to do it.  Most people tell me I need to learn to say, "No."  I don’t think I’ll have a problem saying no to this request.  I don’t even know if I would be capable of sitting still.

     That’s probably too much information but I just can’t think about anything else right now.