Superior National Forest's Fire Report for the 2022-2023 Season
The Superior NF works with Minnesota State and county partners, local fire departments, Tribal Bands and the Forest’s resource staff to put the right fire treatment, at the right time and place, for the greatest benefit.
Duluth, MN – January 30, 2024 – Contrary to this winter, the winter of 2022-2023 brought record-setting snowfall, followed by low precipitation with expanded drought. Air quality extremes were notable throughout the 2023 wildfire season. The spring fire season for the northern half of Minnesota was delayed; however, spring came and with-it dry conditions. Overall, the 2023 fire season was one of the slowest – nationwide – in nearly 25 years. Despite the spring dry conditions across the Superior National Forest (SNF), wildfires were minimal.
“The successes and outcomes from our 2023 Prescribed Fire program resulted from strong interagency partnerships and Tribal coordination. Our fire program used thorough preplanning, strong operational and fire management staff support, had favorable weather patterns, and used skillful burn day tactics,” says Nick Petrack, new Forest Management Officer for the Superior and Chippewa NF (Former SNF West Zone FMO). “We prescribe burn to reduce hazardous fuels that can help wildfires spread across ownerships within the Superior National Forest footprint. We also prescribe burn for habitat improvement projects like oak-blueberry burning for wildlife browse, to reduce slash piles after vegetation management projects, and to reintroduce fire into the forest landscape that has a historic fire regime pattern.”
The SNF works with State and county partners, our local fire departments, the Tribal Bands and our Forest’s resource staff to put the right fire treatment at the right time and place, for the greatest benefit.
Alternatively, the decrease of spring wildfires allowed fire staff to continue to prepare, take required trainings and gain skills, review annual plans and coordinate partnership engagements for the 2024 fire year. Additionally, fire staff supported other agencies in-state with wildfires and prescribed fire, assisted the national wildfire effort, and supported the extensive Canadian wildfires, as well. Notably, staff were very successful in conducting Forest-wide prescribed operations due to the favorable weather conditions and necessary staffing levels needed for prescribed fire operations.
Prescribed Fire
The SNF completed 62 projects, for a total of 5,450 acres during the 2023 season. Fire managers and staff began prescribed fire operations when drought levels decreased. The first prescribed burn operations are oak-blueberry burns that are conducted in early spring while some snow is present. These burns help invigorate oak-blueberry habitat prior to budding. Following those burns, additional burning occurred when summer vegetation growth became abundant. These prescribed fires included pile burning (burning of piles of stacked small diameter vegetation for hazardous fuels reduction), pine under burning (low-intensity prescribed fire in red and white pine stands to reintroduce fire to fire-dependent species), and broadcast burning (low-to-moderate intensity fire to reintroduce fire to fire-dependent ecosystems).
Last year’s prescribed fire acreage completed was more than 4,000 acres than the 2022 season (30 projects at 988 acres), and around 2,600 acres less than pre-planned for 2023. The 2021 season had 96 projects at approximately 6,640 acres. Many factors go into successful prescribed fires including fuel considerations, wind, humidity, temperature, soil moisture, terrain and location, smoke management, firefighting staffing levels, and prescribed burning support staff.
Read more about 2023s prescribed fire operations for the Superior at:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/superior/news-events/?cid=FSEPRD1103567
https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Spring-Prescribed-Fires-to-Begin-on-the-Superior-National-Forest-.html?soid=1138793964060&aid=3QcQti9abk4
Wildfires
The first wildfire occurred on May 15, 2023. In all, the Superior had nine human-caused fires for a total of 30.95 acres.
The largest fire was the Spice Lake Fire. This fire was detected by Superior detection aircraft on June 30, 2023. The fire was approximately 30 acres and was located within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, on the eastern portion of the SNF. The fire was contained on June 29, 2023, and verified as ‘out’ on August 11, 2023. A fire is contained when fire managers determine there is no risk of spread of the fire. The incident commander of a fire makes the decision that a fire is out when firefighters are unable to detect any remaining heat or smoke from the fire.
The Minnesota Incident Command System (MNICS) Team B under Incident Commander-Aaron Mielke was ordered by the SNF to take command of that fire due to the dry conditions and limited resources across the SNF. The team worked the fire for six days. In addition to SNF firefighters, a 19-person hotshot crew (an elite team of firefighters that are highly trained) was ordered and camped out working the fire, including a burnout operation. Burnout operations are used to create a burned area with minimal combustible vegetative fuel to help contain the fire footprint. The fire caused the SNF 20to implement a campfire restriction and a Forest Closure area of numerous trails, portages, lakes, and rivers; along with 80 campsites within the Spice Lake Fire footprint and surrounding area to ensure health and safety of the wildland firefighters in the BWCAW.
Wilderness Crews – Search & Rescue
In partnership with the Minnesota Command Center Operations, search and rescue operations, fire reporting and response, as well as closure and evacuation notices and fire restriction notices to wilderness recreationists were tracked.
2023 was busy for the Beaver aircraft pilots conducting search and rescue. The Beavers flew seven Search and Rescue (SAR), eleven Medevac, and one body recovery missions.
The Superior National Forest's excellent aviation staff of three aircraft pilots and one mechanic, were flexible in their approach to providing superb public assistance, cooperating with emergency services partners such as county and city EMS, 911, etc., and providing for responder safety first.
For more information on the Superior National Forest's Fire and Aviation program, please visit:
Superior National Forest - Home (usda.gov)
MNICS.org
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