Prescribed Burn at Lake Vermilion Shore Lunch Site

The U.S Forest Service conducted a prescribed burn at Lake Vermilion on May 17 and 18 in the area surrounding the Norwegian Bay, South Shore Lunch Site. The site has been closed during the burning operation and will remain so until the fire is declared dead out by the fire crews. It is expected the site will be re-opened for public use in advance of the upcoming Memorial Day weekend.

The shore lunch site itself was protected by the fire crews equipped with hose-lays supplied by water pumps during the burning activity.

The purpose of this prescribed fire is to reduce the accumulation of fuels (needles, other surface litter, and dead balsam fir) near the shore lunch site. This will create and maintain a more open under story that will in turn reduce the risk of unwanted wildfires in the future. The fire will also encourage the regeneration of pines in the treated area. The Forest Service expects green up of the ground plants in the burned area later this summer.

The under story of a nearby island is also scheduled for prescribed burning to reduce the fuel loading. Please visit www.fs.usda.gov for more information about the use of prescribed fire for forest management activities.