Deepening drought conditions have led officials to ban campfires in northern Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Meanwhile, authorities reported an increase in activity in recent days at a smoldering wildfire in the BWCAW.

The order, which will go into effect Tuesday, Oct. 1, prohibits charcoal grills, barbeques and grills — both coal and woodburning.

The Wilderness Act of 1964 paved the way for the BWCAW in northeastern Minnesota. Now it's our turn to extend that legacy.

The northern portion of Lake and St. Louis counties in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) are under “extreme” fire danger, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources said earlier this week. National forest managers banned campfires in the Boundary Waters, which lies within the Superior National Forest, at that time.

With the driest September on record in Minnesota recently concluded, canoeists will need alternative sources to heat and cook for the time being.