Lightning Strikes

     It looked like we were going to have some rain on August 9th, but it didn’t amount to much if anything, in most parts of the forest.  Lightning accompanied the rain clouds and made it’s presence known by striking the dry land in numerous places.  There are radars to detect where lightning strikes occur and the USFS monitors these sites by air when the conditions are dry.  Thank goodness for technology because it helped the USFS to spot two different fires in the Gunflint Ranger District.

     The smell of smoke was in the air and the hazy sky was a good tell for a fire.  With campfires restricted in the Boundary Waters, and anywhere else in Cook County except for at designated campgrounds, it was fairly easy to say there was a fire somewhere. 

     Somewhere happened to be close to us at the end of the Gunflint Trail.  Both of the fires are just a short 5 miles to the west of where Voyageur is located.  Prevailing winds are from the west and northwest so it doesn’t quite comfort me.  Aircraft and crews are responding to fires near Zephyr Lake in the Boundary Waters and Canada’s Cache Bay.  Zephyr is to the west of the main part of Saganaga and south of the arm of Saganaga where it extends into Swamp and Ottertrack Lake.  

     We’re glad crews are responding and are hopeful these small fires will be put out immediately. It’s dry in the wilderness and fires are a part of where we live.  I’m just not wanting to experience another big one any time soon.