Other fires continue to devastate many more forest acres in Ontario to the north and west of the Boundary Waters. Over a two-day period in July, some 13,000 lightning strikes occurred in the Boundary Waters area around Ely, Minnesota, a gateway community to the wilderness area. Fire is an unavoidable threat to the Boundary Waters. But in the meantime, between fire and exploitation, the Boundary Waters area is under threat. Top image of canoe on a lake in the Boundary Waters of Minnesota is by Dan Thornberg, available via Shutterstock.