Multiple Fires Lead USFS to Close all BWCA Entry Points

"Beginning Tuesday, July 14, 2026, no visitors will be allowed to enter the BWCAW, including for day use," noted the published note to outfitters.. 

USFS crews will begin moving visitors out of the BWCAW on Tuesday, with priority on areas most vulnerable to fire activity. Full refunds will be processed automatically, and permit holders will receive a cancellation notification email. 

This is the first closure since 2021. 

Beginning on July 11, 2026, the United States Forest Service closed 225,000 acres of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness because of multiple wildfires and continued dry conditions. The US Forest Service reports that 17 wildfires have started in and around the BWCAW in the last week, resulting in evacuations and the closure of multiple trails and entry points. These fires are impacting the northwest part of the area, between Ely and Crane Lake, north of the Echo Trail and south of Lac La Croix along the Canadian border. 

Fires currently burning in the BWCA include:

Dark Fire/Bear Trap: The Bear Trap Fire and Dark Fire have merged and are now collectively known as the Dark Fire/Bear Trap Fire. The fire now has a combined size of 700 acres, is burning toward Crooked Lake, and is exhibiting very active fire activity. 

Thumb Fire: Between Thumb and Contentment Lake in the BWCA. This fire has grown to an estimated 600 acres. It was initially reported at 5:32 p.m. on July 7. 

Sioux Fire: North of the Echo Trail and east of Jeanette Campground, and estimated at 288 acres. The fire was burning toward the BWCA, and at 8 p.m. Sunday night, the Forest Service was removing vehicles from the Little Indian Sioux entry point parking lot due to the wildfire's direction of spread. This fire includes evacuation notices: 

Wolfpack Fire: Burning four miles north of the Echo Trail and the Lake Jeanette Campground. Listed as 80 acres Sunday night. 

Echo 2 Fire: A 14-acre fire north of Echo Lake also has evacuation orders in place. 

With high temperatures and dry summer conditions, the potential for additional wildfires is high. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources activated burning restrictions  at 8 a.m. Sunday, July 12, for Cook, Lake, and northern St. Louis counties in northeast Minnesota. These restrictions apply to non-federal and non-Tribal lands in the affected area.

 

 

Governor Tim Walz on Sunday issued Executive Order 26-08 declaring a peacetime emergency and authorizing additional state assistance to support ongoing wildfire response efforts in northern Minnesota.

 

“Wildfires have broken out in northeastern Minnesota and are putting local communities at risk,” said Governor Walz. “This emergency declaration allows for the mobilization of additional resources necessary to protect lives, prevent damage, and help the Minnesota DNR and our local communities respond. Minnesotans extend our deepest gratitude to the firefighters, members of the Minnesota National Guard, and all our first responders working around the clock to keep their neighbors safe.

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management is coordinating closely with federal, state, and local partners to support fire suppression, evacuation efforts, and emergency response operations. Responding agencies include the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the Minnesota Department of Transportation, the Minnesota Interagency Fire Center, the US Forest Service, and local emergency responders.