Good News on the fire continues

This is the update from WTIP posted on www.boreal.org

The perimeter of the Ham Lake fire on the U.S. side continues to hold. Today crews are mopping up hot spots within 100 feet of containment lines, and within 300 feet of all structures. On the northwest flank, firefighters are patrolling the Saganaga Lake islands. Progress continues toward containment, with firefighters improving the line south of Rush Lake in anticipation of today’s warmer and drier weather forecast. Containment on the U.S. side of the fire is now estimated at 65%. Nearly 76,000 total acres have been burned, with about 36,000 acres in the U.S. and over 39,000 in Canada. The containment date remains Sunday, May 20. The total cost for fighting the fire at this time is estimated to be $7.3 million.
On the other side of the border, crews are making additional progress. In addition to the Ham Lake Fire, Canada has been tackling other large fires in the province. One fire, east of Thunder Bay, threatened the province’s main railroad line, the trans-Canada Highway, hydroelectric utilities and the natural gas transmission corridor. At this time Ontario has an estimated 230 firefighters engaged on the Ham Lake Fire, including three American “Hot Shot” crews, two from Alaska and one from Arizona, and more Canadian resources are on the way. Ontario also has a fire ban in place.
As a result of decreased fire activity and successful suppression operations, the areas of Superior National Forest lands outside the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness are now open to public use except the areas north and west of the Cross River roadblock on the Gunflint Trail. East Bearskin and Flour Lake Campgrounds are open. Reservations are now being accepted by ReserveAmerica for BWCAW trips starting May 20 into many of the BWCAW entry points. The Superior National Forrest anticipates that all BWCAW entry points will be opened by June 14 or earlier, depending on fire conditions. Access is now open to the Gunflint and Loon Lakes areas. Water access onto Gunflint Lake is prohibited due to aircraft traffic associated with suppression efforts.
The road block at the Poplar Lake Fire Hall was moved further up trail yesterday to where the Cross River intersects the Gunflint Trail. A mandatory evacuation remains in effect for the Gunflint Trail beyond the Cross River roadblock. Property owners west of the roadblock will be allowed into the evacuation area today from noon to 4:00 p.m. Property owners entering the evacuated area were asked to attend the 10:00 a.m. information meeting held this morning at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts in Grand Marais. They were then issued an access pass and given further instructions and a safety briefing.