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Evidence of the 1999 blowdown is still visible on the hilltops around Spoon Lake

In 2006, lightning strikes triggered three major fires. In May, a major incident called the Ham Lake Fire spread its flames across more than 76,000 acres in the BWCAW and bordering Canadian wilderness. The state of Minnesota’s largest wildfire in 90 years, it affected dozens of BWCAW entry points including Skipper & Portage Lakes (#49); Kekekabic Trail East (#56); Magnetic Lake (#57) and South Lake (#58) entry points; Larch Creek (#80); and the Border Route Trails: West, Center and East (#81, #82, and #83). In July, the Turtle Lake fire started 15 miles east of Ely, MN. More than 2,000 acres around Turtle, Pietro, and Bald Eagle lakes burned before the fire extinguished itself without any intervention. During the same time period the Cavity Lake Fire, located 44 miles from Grand Marais on the end of the Gunflint Trail, burned almost 32,000 acres. Since the fire threatened local residents and private property, fire managers responded aggressively. Flying tankers dropped an estimated 60,000 gallons of water on the first day of the event.