DULUTH — The Superior National Forest burned 2,038 acres in 61 prescribed fire projects last year as part of its goal to reintroduce more fire on the landscape.
The Forest’s annual fire report, released Tuesday, Jan. 7, details the various habitats treated with fire, starting with oak-blueberry and marshes while snow was still on the ground to help refresh the forage before budding began.
With summer came pile burns to help reduce hazardous fuels, "pine under burning" for fire-dependent red and white pines and broadcast burning, reintroducing low-to-moderate intensity fire to fire-dependent ecosystems.
"The successes and outcomes from our 2024 Prescribed Fire program resulted from strong interagency partnerships with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, The Nature Conservancy, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other USDA coordination," said Nick Patrack, forest management officer, in a news release.
"Our fire program continues to utilize prescribed fire as a vegetation management treatment. Thorough planning, education, and skillful tactics are always utilized through an intensive preplanning process."
The report stated that overall, the Forest had low wildfire activity, despite the record-low snowfall and dry spring. While last year saw 1,050 acres more burned than in 2022, acreage was far lower than in 2023 when 4,841 acres were burned, due to summer and fall drought conditions. June rains brought temporary relief, but dry conditions returned by July and August.
In all, there were 17 human-caused fires that burned 288 acres. The first was March 12. The largest was the Oct. 8 Bogus Lake Fire, which burned 53 acres.
Despite the "record-setting" drought conditions, fires remained small in size and complexity, which was a good thing, given limited national resources. The nation hit Preparedness Level 5 — the highest — three separate times and spent nearly 100 days at levels 4 or 5 because of significant fire activity in multiple parts of the country.
