By John Imsdahl 

Writer/Reporter 

“Ely is open for business!” Was the resounding theme of the Wildfire Economic Impact roundtable held at Vermillion College in Ely, Minnesota on Friday, July 24.  Ely mayor Heidi Omerza made that emphatic statement while urging residents, and visitors alike, to shop locally and start making their Christmas purchases now to help keep local business afloat.   

The meeting was held to address concerns about the economic fallout from wildfires that have been burning in northern Minnesota and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) over the past 2 and a half weeks, and featured Minnesota Senator Grant Hauschild, Representative Roger Skraba as well as other local leaders and members of the community.   

The fires, which are believed to have been started by lightning on July 7, quickly grew and prompted mass evacuations of as many as 10,000 people from the BWCAW.  The entire park was closed by the US Forest Service as at least 4 separate fires grew to a combined total of more than 60,000 acres in size.   

While cabins and permanent structures have largely been spared from destruction, the impacts of the fire are being felt all across northern Minnesota.  Ely has been particularly hard hit due to the number of resorts, outfitters, and tourism-centered businesses that rely on an open BWCAW for income.  

Tanner Spicer, President of the Ely Chamber of Commerce and co-owner of Voyageur North Outfitters stated that, “Ely’s economy is unique,” and he stressed the regions reliance on tourism.  He also echoed Mayor Omerza’s comments that, “Ely is back open for business,” and encouraged those in attendance to spread that message.   

Jason Zabokrtsky, founder and owner of Ely Outfitting Company, detailed how the fires were impacting his company.  He outlined how their operations were dependent on the BWCAW being open for income.  Zabokrtsky said that they have had at least 128 groups, totaling more than 500 individuals, cancel trips or permits with his company, which has resulted in having to refund more than $60,000 in deposits and prepayments.  Those figures don’t include total lost revenue, which is significantly higher.   

The loss of business to Ely Outfitting Company has meant that the seasonal staff of 17 people has been left with very little work to do, other than processing cancellations.  Furthermore, the contracted guides the company uses have been left without work as well.  

One of the guides that works part-time with Ely Outfitting Company is Josh Lambert.  Lambert, originally from Cleveland, moved to the area in 2025 after falling in love with the area.  Although he has regular full-time work, the shutdown has cost hundreds of dollars of income from the 4–5-day trips that they would have otherwise guided over the last two weeks.   

Outfitters and resorts are not the only ones suffering losses in revenue due to the fire situation.  Jess Edberg, the executive director of the Dorothy Molter Museum, highlighted how a decrease in visitors to Ely is causing financial hardships with the museum.  The Dorothy Molter Museum is dedicated to the famous “Root beer Lady” who was one of the last permanent residents of the BWCAW, and who brewed root beer that she sold to thousands of canoeists who visited her cabin on Knife Lake.   

The Molter Museum makes over 60 percent of their operating budget by selling their own brand of root beer to visitors, and the lack thereof means they are scrambling to find other revenue sources.   

While hardship was a theme of the day, others in attendance had messages of hope and resilience.  Ginny Nelson of Spirit of the Wilderness Outfitters said that “We are a community that extends beyond just Ely,” and that there were many people that wanted to help.  Nelson encouraged attendees to visit the restaurants, galleries, and museums around town, and pointed out that fishing guides were available to take people out on many of the nearby lakes outside the BWCAW.   

Ely resident Abby Dare challenged the political leaders in attendance to model good behavior and communication in these times and condemned what she referred to as toxicity around many issues facing Ely.  Dare was not the only speaker to express the same sentiments, with other speakers calling for unity and cooperation.  

One organization that has popped up to help support the community is Ely Community Response. Co-founder Megan Wind stated that the ad-hoc group was formed last Tuesday with the intention of connecting those in need with those that can help by consolidating lists of organizations that are currently working in the area.  Wind stated that in some cases they have been able to connect people with much needed help in as little as an hour.    

Visit Ely Community Response’s Substack here for more information.   

Due to recent rainfall, and the heroic efforts of wildland firefighters, the BWCAW may see some entry points re-opened as early as next week.  For those in Ely depending on tourism dollars to survive, that opening can’t come fast enough.