Portion Of Superior Hiking Trail Closed Due To Wildfire Reopens

Some good news regarding the wildfire that grew to 300 acres on Minnesota's North Shore in the last week.

The Minnesota Incident Command System (MNICS) is reporting a few different pieces of good news in what they call their final report on what has been named the Crosby Fire, mostly located in George H. Crosby Manitou State Park.

The first piece of good news is that as of yesterday (October 15), fire crews have gotten the Crosby Fire 95% contained. While the fire is mostly contained, crews remain on-site continuing their efforts to keep the situation under control.

The other big piece of good news is that the closed portion of the Superior Hiking Trail has been reopened. A portion of the popular trail between Caribou Falls State Wayside Rest along Minnesota State Highway 61 to the Lake County Road 7 (Cramer Road) access points was closed on October 10 out of an abundance of caution, as weather conditions were conducive for the fire to continue to grow.

As of 8:00 am this morning (October 16), the closed portion of the Superior Hiking Trail in the George H. Crosby Manitou State Park was reopened to public use. While this portion of the trail has been reopened, crews are offering a safety note for members of the public looking to use the trail.

Officials say hikers should stay on the trail, noting that fire crews are still working in the area. In addition, they point out that several nearby trees may have been weakened by the fire and could pose a danger of falling. That said, use extra caution if you decide to hike this portion of the SHT.

It is also worth noting that you may still smell smoke in the area. Officials say this should not be a reason for concern, as the area continues to be monitored by fire crews.

Finally, while the trail has been reopened and the blaze is mostly contained, the public is still asked not to fly a drone in the area. In the event crews need to deploy firefighting aircraft, they need to make sure the airspace is clear and safe to do so.

The Largest Minnesota Wildfires In Modern History

While Minnesota has experienced even larger, more devastating fires like the 350,00-acre Hinckley Fire in 1884 of the 250,000-acre Cloquet-Moose Lake Fire in 1918, fires have thankfully been relatively smaller in more modern times.

Even though these more modern fires have been smaller, largely due to better firefighting capabilities, many have still been devastating and destructive. Here's a look at Minnesota's largest wildfires since 2007 based on information from the Minnesota Incident Command System.

Gallery Credit: Nick Cooper