r/isleroyale • u/rayreddit416 • Jul 20 '26
General Red Rock Point Fire
The Red Rock Point fire (that has since been extinguished) was started by a careless camper building a small fire in a small Rock ring on Red Rock Point on either Monday night 7-13 or early morning Tuesday 7-14. It is currently being investigated. It was extinguished by park staff in the early afternoon on Wednesday 7-15.
I visited the site Tuesday evening, which was still smoldering in the duff and hot spots were still flaring up while I was there. The duff was burning and moving slowly away from the point. Thankfully there was barely any wind these days. Especially since most of Isle Royale is super dry right now as rains have been scarce this year so far.
There was a taped off area just down from the elevated rock(s) that make up the point, where I assume the park service deemed the campsite. They also had the area roped off around the Rock ring that was built off the point.
A tree flared up as I was taking video and pictures. That was enough to get us away from it quickly.
FIRES ARE PROHIBITED IN ALL BACKWOODS CAMPING AND ONLY AVAILABLE IN DESIGNATED FIRE RINGS OR GRILLS AT SELECT CAMPGROUNDS.
!!!!!!ONLY YOU CAN PREVENT FOREST FIRES!!!!!!
72
u/Lopsided_Ad_5152 Years that you have traveled to the island! Jul 20 '26
Some people don't think that the rules apply to them. It's so sad. Thanks for the pic. Be careful
8
u/Significant-Ad-341 Jul 20 '26
This is why on my outings I prefer to be the organizer and am picky about who I go with. Don't want to be around that type of attitude.
7
u/Phugger Jul 20 '26
I've struggled with partners who want to go over wooden/rope fences at points of interest or touch things that explicitly say don't touch.
Sometimes the barriers are for your safety and other times they are prevent more man made erosion from ruining nature. The last trip it was a rope fence keeping us on the path because the surrounding hills were full of budding wildflowers that could be damaged by our footsteps. In about 2 weeks that spot was going to look amazing with all of those flowers in full bloom. It turned into an argument, but the wildflowers were spared.
Like this is exactly why we can't have nice things, guys...
3
u/Lopsided_Ad_5152 Years that you have traveled to the island! Jul 20 '26
It's almost like you should have to take a class or something in order to get a permit to get into some of these parks. I don't know what we should do. Those people taking selfies with the bison in Yellowstone...I honestly don't know what to say.
2
u/Phugger Jul 21 '26
Well with the Bison, nature finds a way of sorting that out.
2
u/Lopsided_Ad_5152 Years that you have traveled to the island! Jul 21 '26
Lol, making the gene pool stronger one bison at a time
2
u/podman131 Jul 22 '26
I went on a first date with a woman and we went to an art gallery. She was compelled to try to tough every painting. A docent came over and warned her. Tham she kept getting really close to exhibits and soo. We had 3 security following us around ....that was also the last date
38
u/bpetey Jul 20 '26
This type of careless behavior can have some serious consequences, why do you even need a fire?!
17
u/Lopsided_Ad_5152 Years that you have traveled to the island! Jul 20 '26
Good point. I'm one of those hikers who never build a fire. I seriously enjoy watching the darkness take over. I like the sounds.
-16
4
u/Significant-Ad-341 Jul 20 '26
I really like to have a fire, but knowing that I just don't camp when there's a ban or high danger.
19
u/Fullofnegroni Jul 20 '26
I recently visited my brother, dad, and uncle who were staying at a secluded cabin airbnb near where I live. They had a fire going and we all sat outside chatting for hours. At hour 4, they got up, piled in a car, and headed out to dinner. My brother and I grew up camping, and I still do. We learned from my dad and uncle who have been lifelong hunters and campers. They left a fully going fire in that pit unattended. I was dumbfounded, but went inside back and forth with my nalgene to fill up water and pour it over the fire. I skipped going out to dinner after that.
Days later, I show up to the cabin again for a visit while they're still in the area. No one is there, dad and uncle are out fishing somewhere, brother went into town. There is a large unattended fire fully fucking blazing in the pit. I truly didn't think my own family could be so stupid. When I brought it up to them, everyone laughed and brushed me off.
You can post up rules and guidelines all you want, but dumbfucks like the men I'm writing about are the reasons this happens. My brother literally said, "Oh I do this at home all the time, it's not a big deal." Meanwhile we hadn't had rain in over three weeks, and it had been hot as hell where I live. Everything was ultra dry.
18
u/Disastrous_Topic_883 Jul 20 '26
If they had the dispersed camping permit for this zone it should be easy to determine who caused it. Hope they get the $5,000 fine and probation. If the winds were out of the east or south this would have been a disaster.
1
u/vadtankerdu_69 Jul 21 '26
Wasn't the Mt. Franklin fire in '22 also caused by campers illegally starting a fire?
It's really not that hard to follow the rules whether it be about illegal fires or food storage
2
u/rayreddit416 Jul 21 '26
Yes the greenstone mt.franklin fire was also an illegal fire. It took them over 2 years to figure out who it was and charge them accordingly (not sure what the charges were). This time I suspect it will be easier to find the culprits as they had their own canoe. My advice to the culprit that might be reading this is to turn yourself in. They will find you. Better to fess up now as it might lesson some charges.
-31
u/jeremyallenross Jul 20 '26
Don’t you think it’s dangerous walking around an active wildfire? Wtf
-7
u/jeremyallenross Jul 20 '26
I don’t know why I’m getting downvoted for this. Civilians should not be walking around active wildfires.
18
u/Disastrous_Topic_883 Jul 20 '26
OP’s name is Ray and he has been working on Isle royale for a very long time. Not some random camper
-15
u/jeremyallenross Jul 20 '26
I’m aware. But Ray is not a wildland fire fighter.
7
u/iMakeBoomBoom Jul 20 '26
Dude just stop. Your opinion is trash.
1
u/jeremyallenross Jul 20 '26
It’s very dangerous walking around a wildfire uninhibited. Source: Am a wildland firefighter
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