Harrowing evacuations as Boundary Waters closes amid wildfires

As large wildfires forced the closure of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, the Forest Service evacuated an estimated 6,000–10,000 visitors. Campers recounted tense, smoke-filled escapes by canoe, embers falling on evacuees, and urgent orders to leave as fires engulfed campsites around Pipestone Bay and Basswood Lake; outfitters and Forest Service crews helped transport people by boat, with some groups evacuated well into the evening amid deteriorating air quality.