The refrigerated trailer body sitting outside the back door of his outfitting lodge isn't a normal part of the summer scenery here, Mike Prom said Thursday.
But neither are the more than 200 forest firefighters streaming through his dining room each morning and evening.
Prom, owner of Voyageurs Canoe Outfitters at the top of the Gunflint Trail, and his staff have the job of feeding breakfast, lunch and dinner to those fighting the Alpine Lake fire. The fire, started by lightning, first flared up Saturday. The force fighting it has since grown steadily.
Breakfast for the firefighters starts at 5:30 a.m. and runs for one hour, but Prom and his crew are busy well before that. They've daily been cracking 30 dozen eggs, flipping countless flapjacks and brewing pot upon pot of coffee.
Each afternoon, Prom's crew spends three to four hours packing lunches for the next day. Dinner, which starts at 8 p.m., comes after a day busy serving regular guests heading into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Canada's Quetico Provincial Park.
All the meals they prepare must meet specific and curious federal government standards -- including providing 11 ounces of juice, a mint or a piece of chewing gum in lunches, no apples for dinner, and only whole muscle meat. Meaning no meatloaf.
"There's a book this thick on it," Prom said, gesturing holding his thumb and forefinger about an inch apart.
While the fire is bringing some added revenue for outfitters, it is also burning at the height of summer. News of the fire has triggered an increase in phone calls from guests worried about possibly canceling plans. "When news of this thing first got out, we had two phone lines ringing nonstop," Prom said.
Other outfitters are also being tapped by the U.S. Forest Service to help out with canoes, motorboats and lodging. Most are more than willing to do their part to help but admit it creates an added strain.
"We get extra business, which is an advantage, but it also adds a lot of extra stress," said Debbie Mark, the owner of Seagull Outfitters, not far down the trail from Prom's place.
Canoes at Mark's business are in tight supply, as are the motorboats she rents for use in the nonwilderness areas on Seagull Lake. The Forest Service has rented all but one powerboat, and that one has been placed on call, so using it to shuttle campers and canoes to the wilderness edge must be carefully coordinated.
Nearly as fast as canoes come in, they go back out again, Mark said. "They come out of the water, they are getting washed out and are going right back out," she said. Still, Mark has a can-do attitude about the situation. "You just stretch the rubber band a little bit farther," Mark said. "Everybody thinks you can't possibly do more, but you just find a way and I'm happy to do it. But it does add stress," she said.
Prom said only one group of booked customers canceled because of the fire, but not from fear of being burned. "It was their first trip with small children and they were concerned about smoke," he said. "So we just gave them a full refund."
Mark said she has had no cancellations as a result of the fire. "We just tell the truth," she said. "We tell people that some of the campsites have been closed and it may be a little busier around here."
Prom said some of his guests even have offered to help pack firefighters lunches and so far nobody has complained about the increased activity. "People think it's neat," Prom said. "They want to help; I think I've been asked 1,000 times, 'Do you want us to help make sandwiches?' "
Gary Johnson, the facilities unit leader for the Minnesota Interagency Fire Team, said the outfitters' efforts and tolerance are a critical part of the overall logistical support needed to fight the fire.
"These outfitters are jamming their livelihoods into a few short months and have just been amazing to work with," Johnson said.
Johnson and those he works with are responsible for everything from ensuring that line firefighters are replacing the 3,000 calories they burn daily to ensuring fuel for chainsaws, boats, water pumps and other equipment is available. His unit also ensures that a ready supply of backup clothing and gear, including everything from sleeping bags to hand tools, is readily available. "We do everything we can to keep everybody as happy as possible," Johnson said.
To that end, Johnson has made it a personal responsibility that 15 gallons of hot coffee is ready daily for the 7 a.m. group briefing at the Forest Service's Seagull Guard Station. "I'm setting the foundation for the day," he said. "If that first cup of coffee goes wrong then the whole day has gone wrong."
In the afternoon, Johnson brews up another 15 gallons.
Distributed by the Associated Press
