Photos

I got an email and spoke to my dad on the phone this morning. He sent along some photos via email that I have attached below, including one of a map that has not been put on the web yet. The photos from honeymoon bluff are of the back burn going on to the south of Gunflint lake. He also said he bought a fishing license, and I assume he will have great luck because he must be one of the only people fishing this opener!

Him and Jim are working down the lake to work on sprinkler systems where they can. The main firefighting resources are so tied up north on the trail that East Bearskin is still low priority. I guess that good news.

He also said it was getting windy today like the forecast said. I hope things stay on the calm side today, or their back burn efforts pay off.

10:00 AM Fire update

The 10:00 AM fire update via WTIP is about to come on. Live blog to follow. (click here for a direct link to the audio)

10:00
• The sherif is on his way down the trail, he will be 10 min late. The conference will start then.

10:10:
• recap of the fire progression, showing maps from day 1
• The most growth on Thursday
• All growth based on wind direction
• Today, out of the SE, 10-15 sustained gusts up to 25
• Last night, did a burn out between gunflint and loon lake
• It went "extremely well"
• We are in a much better position than we were before
• None of this is a grantee

10:15
• Showing maps of where they are going to work today
• THe old power-line between gunflint and loon
• It is a "hand line" to help stop spotting
• What we need is a wind from both directions (E/W) at the same time. heh.
• Fire is now 15% contained
• Much of the fire has cooled down
• Canadians are trying to prevent it from going further east, looking at a possible burn out today.
• The burn outs have been the most effective tactic so far
• The US and Canadian coordination has been seamless (weather data, equipment, people)

WEATHER
Temp: 60s
Humidity: 30-35%
Wind: 10-15 (25) SE

10:20
• Sherif speaking
• If things get worse, evacuations may resume
• You can't get arrested if you don't evacuate
• But is distracts from protecting other structures because they have to protect you above all else
• Looking at evacuating trail center area again today
• Middle and end of this week, the road blocks might be opened to allow people back to their property
• Meetings tonight at 7:00 at Poplar lake and Grand Marais center for the arts

Late night fire update

Sorry all, I missed the 7:00 PM fire update due to the housewarming party, but I am on the 9:00 WTIP broadcast. Live blog to follow.

7:00
• concern is the "finger"
• One bit went out to the east end of loon lake, but ok because it hit the burn out area and stopped.
• There was growth on the north end of the finger
• Growth east and west near rush lake (end of the finger), and entering blowdown area. This is a concern.
• The back burn is in progress now (7:00 PM)
• 53,000 acres (+700 today)
• USA: 30,000 Canada: 22,0000
• 134 structures lost total in US and Canada

7:05
• Today was a good day
• Evacuations lifted, from Poplar lake fire hall to west of Voyager point
• Did this because the winds were going the right direction
• Controlled burned occurred later than expected
• Main structure protection on loon and Gunflint
• Today was good, tomorrow looks not so good.
• Tomorrow wind out of the south west
• This might cause a re-decleration of evacuations tomorrow
• Showing a map of controlled burns
• These burns have helped us control this fire
• Back burn is directly south of Gunflint by loon
• Main concern is the finger pushing west or east
• Sag and Seagull has cooled down significantly, thinking about letting people in early next week (on temp basis)

7:10
• 10:00 AM meeting tomorrow

WEATHER TONIGHT

- partly cloudy
- chance of rain
- SE 10-15
- humidity 80%

Evacuation update

"Effective at 12:00 PM on 5/12/07, the cautionary evacuation area between Poplar Lake Fire Hall and Swamper Lake is being lifted. Also, the Mandatory/Imminent Evacuation area between the Poplar Lake Fire Hall and Voyageur Point (County Road 85) is being lifted."

I have updated the Google map to reflect this. I have also added a yellow box to show where roughly where the prescribed back burn will be today. Keep in mind this is a wild guess and only shows the area they are talking about, not necessarily where its borders will fall.

10:00 AM Ham lake fire update

Live blogging the 10:00 AM Ham lake fire update at the Grand Marais Center for the arts broadcast via WTIP.

9:55:
•Playing "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" by Creedence Clearwater Revival

10:05
• Mark VanIrving from the FS.
• Yesterday no appreciable growth
• Weather today, clear and sunny
• light winds 5 mph from the east
• low humidity ~ 25%
• Tomorrow wind from SE, temp around 60
• Wind tomorrow, 15 mph possible 30 mph gusts
• So today, another burn out operation on the west side of the "finger"
• Begin the burn out at gunflint, towards loon, towards the fire.
• Exactly the same thing they did on wednesday to protect gunflint lodge.
• Previous prescribed burning has been extremely important to fight this fire, slowed movement, provides "base"
• Today also working on "Dev X" by Sag
• Hoping for a good burn out today
• Meeting tonight some time, some where about how the burn out went

10:10
• There is still a fire (heh)
• Evacuation moved back!
• New block at CR 85
• Poplar lake, Hungry Jack now under recommended evacuation, not mandatory

10:15
• Elected officials in town (congress members, state reps)
• they are talking

10:20
• There will be more meetings for info tonight, somewhere at some time

No news, good news

Well no news tonight, but I think thats a good thing. I did snag this radar clip of what appears to be some showers running over the entire BWCA. Also, the forecast calls for a 40% chance for thunderstorms on saturday and saturday night, and then a 30% chance on monday. Good news.

Party!

Ok for the first time in days it seems something NOT fire related! Megan and I are having our housewarming party for our new apartment! It is from 3:00 ~ 7:00 PM tomorrow (saturday) and we have food and drink for any one who stops by. We are very excited to be living here and we would love to have people over!

We are at the corner of Carleton and University in St. Paul, right off the 280 exit from 94. (map) There is lots of parking in the back. To get in, you have to go to the back door and find us in the directory to call us, and we will let you in. Then go up to the second floor and walk alllllll the way to the front of the building, and we are in apartment 213!

If you can't make it no worries, we are around and want you over some other day!

New Map

New map out, it looks good: