Boundary Waters wildfires bring grief over forest loss, but hope for long-term renewal

For the canoeists and campers who share a deep affinity for the rocky, pine-studded forests and lakes of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, there is a sense of shared grief over the massive wildfires that continue to burn across the region.

Not only have the fires temporarily closed the wilderness area and slowed business to a trickle for outfitters and other tourism-related businesses in the region, they’ve also burned more than 100 square miles of forest, including huge chunks of the wilderness area, near popular, iconic border lakes including Lac LaCroix, Crooked and Knife.

But while fire is destructive in the short-term, in the long-term it's regenerative. Wildfire breathes new life into the boreal forests of northern Minnesota.