Boundary Waters closure extended through July 24 as crews battle 17 fires

The U.S. Forest Service extended the closure of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness through Friday, July 24, for all permit types, citing continued wildfire activity across the Superior National Forest.

Officials counted 17 active wildfires in the forest, with three inside the BWCAW. More than 500 firefighters and support personnel — along with over a dozen state and local fire departments — were involved in the response. Two fires, the Bear Trap and Thumb fires, crossed the international border, and the Little Knife Fire crossed from Canada into Cook County.

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