Lanny Witter of northwest Rochester, who submitted this photo, says it was taken Monday when the wild fire in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness made a 16-mile run. The photo was taken by his campsite on the North Kawishiwi River.
Witter's camping party — he and his brother-in-law make a four-day trip to the BWCAW every year — entered the area Saturday morning at the Lake One entry point. They were advised to alter their plans and go west to avoid the smoke. They canoed 12 miles to find a campsite on the North Kawishiwi.
They watched the fire develop and weren't overly concerned, Witter says, because the wind was taking the fire away from them.
They canoed out Tuesday morning, Witter says, and rangers were just leaving to evacuate the area where they had camped.
