Right now, multiple wildfires are burning in the Boundary Waters and the Superior National Forest. The wilderness is closed, evacuations are underway, and smoke has turned Ely’s skies to ash. To better understand what is happening, we’re checking in with eyewitnesses from across the Boundary Waters — outfitters, community members, and a scientist — who will help explain why fires like this are becoming more common and extreme.

The panel includes:

• Clare Shirley, owner of Sawbill Outfitters, on what she’s witnessed on the ground and what this means for the outfitting community
• Sam Reed, climate scientist with Friends of the Boundary Waters, on climate, fire-ecology and other forces driving fires like these, and why they’re intensifying
• John Fredrickson, owner of Gunflint Lodge, sharing the view from the Gunflint Trail
• Freja Alioth, Friends’ staff in our Ely office, on how the Ely community is coming together to support one another

This conversation will help us understand what’s happening right now, what it means for the BWCA wilderness, and what we can do.