Much of the Gunflint Trail, a main route to some of Minnesota's best-known fishing, camping and canoeing, is under cautionary evacuation this morning.
The 59 mile long trail has an unusual traffic pattern this morning: residents and visitors are pouring out, and equipment and fire trucks are speeding in. No one is allowed on the trail unless they are part of the firefighting effort.
A community meeting is scheduled to get underway at 10 a.m. at the Cook County High School.
Preliminary reports say much of the north shore of Gunflint Lake is burned out.
Teresa Baumann operates the Golden Eagle Lodge about two-thirds up the trail, or just south of the town of Trail Center.
ADVERTISEMENT
She runs the business with her husband, Dan Baumann, who is also chief of the Gunflint Fire Department.
For now, Teresa Baumann is ignoring an evacuation order, continuing to house and feed firefighters. But she says she's not sure what's next.
"If you had asked me yesterday if we would have to evacuate, I would have said no," she said. "Now I'm not so sure."
This morning, winds are out of the east. But these could shift, pushing the fire again down the trail.
