Where There’s Smoke

It is doubtful anyone on the Gunflint Trail or in Grand Marais missed seeing or smelling the smoke that filled the sky Friday afternoon.  A strange looking cloud soon became a billowing plume of smoke as the Cavity Lake Fire started to burn.  A lightening strike from a previous day, a drop in humidity, and windy hot weather is what got this fire going and before the day was done almost 300 acres had burned.  The fire started sometime after 3:00 p.m. on Friday the 14th of July in a remote area of the blowdown.  The location of the fire is South of Seagull Lake, North of Howard Lake, and about 7 miles in on the Kekekabik Hiking Trail.  Overhead resources were brought in immediately including an aircraft from Canada and the CL 215’s.  They worked for hours as the winds continued to blow and the fire continued to travel for almost 2 1/2 miles through the wilderness.  Hopefully weather conditions will cooperate on Saturday and more resources will be brought in to fight the fire before it can spread West towards the Gunflint Trail.

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