Photos by Orvis Lunke
There was a lot of green at the start of the "Tuesday Fire" on July 2, 2002 (left.) After several days of firefighting, the burned area covered 450 acres between Greenwood Lake and Tom Lake.

Tuesday Fire burns 450 acres

The "Tuesday Fire" which apparently started with a lightning strike in a section of dead balsam on Tuesday, July 2, burned for more than a week. The fire burned approximately 450 acres in the forest between Greenwood Lake and Tom Lake in Hovland. On July 10, Forest Service Information Officer Donna Hart said many of the crews had been released from the fire.
"There are approximately 60 people working there now," said Hart. "They are just checking for hot spots."
At one point, there were approximately 175 people working on the fire, as well as three National Guard helicopters. Help also arrived from Canada, with a CL-415 water aircraft. Local building contractors assisted ground crews with bulldozers and excavation equipment.
Although the Tuesday Fire appears to have been started by natural causes-a lightning strike-the majority of wild fires are caused by people. The Minnesota Incident Command System (MNICS), an interagency team of the Forest Service, DNR, Bureau of Indian Affairs, National Park Service, US Fish & Wildlife Service and the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, joins local authorities in cautioning the public to use extreme care.
For up-to-the-minute fire information, visit www.boreal.org and click on Fire Information. Local radio station, WTIP also provides up-to-the-minute information on their morning and evening Community Calendar programs at 9:00 and 6:00 p.m. For additional information on how to protect your home or cabin from wildfire visit www.firewise.org or contact the local Firewise Communities group at (218) 387-3059.