Greenwood Fire forces highway closures near Isabella
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Officials have closed parts of Minnesota Highway 1 and Lake County Highway 2 near Isabella due to the Greenwood Fire, which has grown to at least 2,000 acres.
The Minnesota Department of Transporation said Highway 1 is closed between New Tomahawk Road and Wanless Road. Eastbound traffic should return to Babbitt and westbound traffic can use forest highways or turn around.
Meanwhile, the USDA Forest Service said Highway 2 is closed from Highway 1 to just north of Greenwood Lake.
The fire was first detected at 3 p.m. Sunday near Greenwood Lake, about 15 miles southwest of Isabella.
The fire was expected to continue spreading northward due to southerly winds. The Forest Service is actively suppressing the fire with air and ground resources.
The Greenwood Fire is burning near Isabella, Minn.[USDA Forest Service]
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The Forest Service closed all developed recreation around McDougal Lake on the Tofte Ranger District. The area was cleared of all visitors on Sunday.
Current sites impacted include:
- McDougal Lake Campground
- McDougal Lake Boat Ramp
- McDougal Lake Picnic Area
- McDougal Lake Trailhead and Trail (trail 71078)
Reservations for McDougal Lake Campground have been canceled and fully refunded through August 30.
The Forest Service says it will lift the closure when it is safe to do.
The McDougal Lake and Sand Lake areas were both evacuated. Approximately 50 families were advised to leave.
The Forest Service and Lake County are unified in their response to this fire. Additionally, a Type two incident management team has been called for support and will hopefully arrive tomorrow. As for right now, the fire is expected to continue to grow under the current weather conditions.