New threat emerges as crews fight Minnesota wildfire: bears
In this image provided by the U.S. Forest Service, smoke and a pyrocumulus cloud rise above Highway 1 near Murphy City, Minn, on Monday, Aug. 23, 2021, above the Greenwood Lake wildfire in northeastern Minnesota. U.S. Forest Service officials say the fire made a run Monday afternoon and developed a pyrocumulus cloud resulting in extreme fire behavior and fire-created lightning. The cloud was visible for miles in all directions and smoke and ash from the fire were reported as far away as Lutsen, a resort town on Lake Superior.(U.S. Forest Service via AP)
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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Officials leading the fight against wildfires in northeastern Minnesota warned Monday about a new threat: bears attracted by generous donations of food and other supplies.
“Donations have far outstripped our need and our ability to store what we have received,” Superior National Forest officials posted in a social media update. “We have no remaining storage space and donations now must be stored in the open on pallets, making them an attractant to bears. We have had two instances of bear damage already.”
Black bears are common in northern Minnesota and rarely attack people, but conflicts can arise when they’re attracted by food. The officials said they appreciate the donations, but they just can’t accept any more.
“We understand the genuine concern, and undeniable generosity of community members, but we need to be able to return the focus of our logistics staff to supporting the Greenwood Fire and our firefighters,” they posted. They suggested donations to local food banks and fire departments instead, “or thank a firefighter. We love signs along the road and cards.”
Forest Service crews have been battling the Greenwood Lake fire since it was spotted Aug. 15, about 15 miles southwest of the town of Isabella. It has burned over 40 square miles but has slowed down in recent days. The area received a much-needed 1.5 to 2 inches of rain from Saturday afternoon through Monday morning, the most rain in a 24-hour period the area around the fire has received all year.
The fire destroyed 14 “primary structures” — mostly homes and cabins — and 57 outbuildings in a major run last Monday. It stood at 14 percent contained as of Monday with a projected containment date of Sept. 10.
The Forest Service also reported no growth thanks to the rain on two other, smaller wildfires of concern, the John Ek and Whelp fires, which are inside the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Crews have just begun efforts to fight those fires on the ground because they’re deep in the wilderness in hard-to-reach areas. Fears that the two fires could expand while firefighting resources have already been stretched thin by the Greenwood Lake fire and severe drought conditions led the Forest Service on Aug. 21 to close the entire Boundary Waters through at least Friday.
This Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021, photo provided by the U.S. Forest Service, a rapidly growing wildfire rises in the background in northeastern Minnesota. U.S. Forest Service officials have warned home and cabin owners who fled a wildfire in northeastern Minnesota that the winds could shift this weekend, putting their properties in danger. Dozens of people got the warning at a public meeting Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021, evening in the small town of Finland, where officials gave them the latest about the Greenwood Lake fire and their strategy for trying to stop it. (Nick Petrack/U.S. Forest Service via AP) 
In this photo provided by the United States Forest Service, firefighters battle a wildfire, Monday, Aug. 23, 2021, near Greenwood Lake in the Superior National Forest of northeastern Minnesota. The fire has burned more than 14 square miles and promoted a new round of evacuations of homes and cabins on Monday. (United States Forest Service via AP) 
As the Greenwood Fire continues to burn, smoke from the blaze fills the air, almost obscuring the Bong Bridge and Denfeld Senior High School, bottom tower, Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2021, in Duluth, Minn. (Brian Peterson/Star Tribune via AP) 
Heavy smoke hangs in the air on East Sheridan Street in Ely, Minn., from the Greenwood Fire burning in the Superior National Forest, Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2021. (Anthony Souffle/Star Tribune via AP) 
As the Greenwood Fire continues to burn, smoke from the blaze fills the air along Interstate 35 near Barnum, Minn., Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2021. (Brian Peterson/Star Tribune via AP) 
As the Greenwood Fire continues to burn, smoke from the blaze fills the air near Slater Lake and Highway 1 & 2 intersections as fire crews set back fires to better control the perimeter, Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2021, in Isabella, Minn. (Brian Peterson/Star Tribune via AP) 
As the Greenwood Fire continues to burn, smoke from the blaze fills the air near Slater Lake as fire crews set back fires to better control the perimeter, Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2021, in Isabella, Minn. (Brian Peterson/Star Tribune via AP) 
As the Greenwood Fire continues to burn, smoke from the blaze fills the air near Slater Lake and Highway 1 & 2 intersections as fire crews set back fires to better control the perimeter, Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2021, in Isabella, Minn. (Brian Peterson/Star Tribune via AP)
