DULUTH — The closed area of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is reduced to just 1,000 acres beginning Thursday, as crews finish mop-up of a 20-30 acre wildfire.
The Spice Lake Fire was detected June 13, and the Superior National Forest said today it is completely contained within a created fire perimeter. A 100,000-acre area surrounding the fire was closed late last week, and paddlers already in the area were dispersed.
The closure order still applies to these lakes: Annie, Kingfisher, Ogishkemuncie, Skindance, Spice and Tickle, which together hold 13 campsites. It also applies to eight portages, many from Ogishkemuncie Lake.
The fire continues to smolder, with Forest Service workers remaining to extinguish hot spots. Campfire restrictions throughout the Superior National Forest are still in place.
The fire, fueled by spruce budworm-affected trees, burned between Spice and Ogishkemuncie lakes, east of Knife and Kekekabic lakes and southwest of Seagull Lake, about 10 miles west of the Gunflint Trail.
