Pagami Creek wildfire (aerials added 11-3)

[Steve Foss]

I was on the ground at the fireline yesterday shooting for Minnesota Public Radio. Fire crews were not willing subjects where we were, so there aren't a lot of faces in some of these. We weren't allowed off the road, and only had about half a mile of fire damage to photograph because down trees blocked us from getting to the end of the road where the old Forest Center used to be and now the Pow Wow Trailhead is. That area was completely burned and blackened.

Anyway, these photographs reflect that lack of access.

The fire has burned more than 100,000 acres, and after a couple of fairly calm and cool days, winds are expected to get gusty again over the weekend.

The images of the burned areas are in the exact same place along the Tomahawk Road as the photographs of the smoke and trees that started off this thread, so there's an interesting before-and-after comparison.

[reinhard1]

there was a large fire in the Ely area many years ago that went through where Bearhead State Park is today. the burnt stumps and parts of trees are still there today surrounded by the beauty of todays forests and wildlife that has reclaimed itself. i know the same will happen in this case. thanks for the pictures and for taking the time to get us closer to the affects of fire in the wild. good luck.

[finnbay]

Wow! Those burned areas look desolate. Can't believe how much different that part of the world is going to look.

[creepworm]

I am by no means a tree expert, but will some of those burnt trees come back? It looks like the fire raced through there and the burns look to be more superficial than anything. I am probably wrong but it looks that way from the photos.

[Steve Foss]

There are quite a few areas that were largely untouched by the fire, surrounded by tracts that were burned completely. What fire experts call a mosaic pattern. The first image below is a good example of that.

There is a lot of life already going on in the burn. Even in fall, plants are starting to regenerate, and when I was in there yesterday I saw a few species of birds, as well as fresh moose and wolf tracks right across burned areas, so the critters are right back in there.

Here are some more images from yesterday.

[ShawnZ]

I love these images! Keep your eyes open for an influx of black backed and three toed woodpeckers, I've read that burned areas are favorites for them and that nesting usually increases in an area that has experienced a burn on this scale.

[Steve Foss]

Here are some from yesterday, when Ken and I teamed up. A dark and rainy/snowy/sleety day led me toward two or three less cheerful compositions.

We saw and shot a nice young buck and a spruce grouse hen among some other subjects, but I wanted to keep this about the burned area, so didn't include them.

And FYI, yes, the Halloween colored image took a little help from Photoshop to bring out the face among the crowd.

[JayinMN]

Nice shot again. I hiked that area by island river but didn't tote my camera along. I saw 2 black backed woodpeckers by the bridge so start listening for tapping!

[Steve Foss]

I went up today to shoot some more work for MPR. I wanted to get up before the snow flies. Quite a sight indeed! All the images were shot around the Lake One chain, Pow Wow Trail, Isabella Lake, Island River and Forest Center areas.

They are all horizontals because that's what MPR wanted.

An unnamed bog

The former Forest Center

Different Forest Center view

Isabella Lake

An island of green

Island River Bridge

Island River

Island River again

Lake Three

A grouse hunter walks the edge of the burn along a forest road

[Steve Foss]

Near the Pow Wow Trail

Typical mosaic burn pattern

More mosaic

Pow Wow Trail/Isabella Lake portage parking lot

Burned above, burned below

Smoke and swans on the Isabella River

Island River bridge

An unnamed lake near Lake Three

[finnbay]

Great work, ol' buddy! What a fantastic opportunity!

[Duffman]

Looks like a few of the campsites on Lake Three might of been left unscathed. I've spent some time on that lake, 5 different trips, sorta sad to see, but it is what it is. I'm ok with that.

[bobbymalone]

nice shots, foss-man. all of 'em. can't believe i haven't stumbled across this thread before tonight.

congrats on the mpr gig as well.