Up until August 26th most folks on the Gunflint Trail hadn't heard of Lizard Lake. Since then the name has gained popularity because of the most recent fire on the Gunflint Trail. Lizard Lake just happens to be the closest BWCA lake to the fire's point of origin. Since the lake is not on a canoe route and there are no campsites in the vicinity the cause of the fire is most likely a lightning strike from a week or so ago.
According to the USFS the fire was just 1/4 of an acre in size on the 27th and they planned to just monitor the fire's activity. They did not feel the fire was a threat because of the location of the fire and the type of fuels surrounding it. On the 28th the USFS 1:00pm News Release stated the fire was 1.5 acres in size and although smoke could be seen from the Gunflint Trail the USFS was still not worried about the fire burning out of control.
Residents of the Gunflint Trail however are not quite as laid back as the USFS. Many of them remember the Ham Lake Fire of 2007 that was described as a cigar shaped fire that was predicted to burn out into the wilderness. The next day it did burn and reduced 140 structures to piles of ash. It continued to burn for weeks consuming over 75,000 acres. For residents in the area the sight and smell of smoke is reason enough to worry.
Whether it was the public's concern or the high winds on the afternoon of the 28th the USFS decided to take action. A helicopter and 2 CL-215 water bombers began dropping water on the fire shortly after 4pm. The forecast for temperatures in the mid 80's and winds gusting up to 26mph through Monday the 30th most likely played a role in the decision to suppress the fire as well.
Lizard Lake will hopefully be forgotten as quickly as it became known. With the USFS monitoring the area and fire fighting aircraft available the Lizard Lake Fire will most likely be history very soon.
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