Greenwood Fire Burn Scar Road, Superior National Forest Sunset
September 2021 — A Forest Service road winds through the burn scar of the 2021 Greenwood Fire in northeastern Minnesota, where charred trunks and open sightlines reveal the scale of the blaze that ultimately consumed more than 27,000 acres of Superior National Forest. The fire began in August 2021 after a lightning strike ignited drought-stressed timber, rapidly expanding under unusually dry and windy conditions. At its peak, roughly 500 firefighters, support staff, and aerial crews worked to protect cabins, roads, and the nearby communities spread across Lake County. This photograph was made inside the restricted closure zone during the period when the U.S. Forest Service still had nearly 100 personnel assigned to monitoring, repair work, and suppression repair. The skeletal tree canopy and exposed soil illustrate the early stages of ecological recovery—an ongoing process that will shape this section of the Northwoods for decades.
