Study estimates $9M economic loss due to BWCA wildfires, parts of region have recovered

A new study is giving us a first look at the economic impact of the wildfires this summer in the Boundary Waters.

Researchers at the University of Minnesota Duluth looked at Ely and Grand Marais, and in July alone, estimated an economic loss of $9 million.

Using cell phone ping data, the study looked at the number of visitors to each city. Because the data looks at the number of pings per day, visitors in the region for multiple days were counted more than once giving a measurement researchers called “visitor days.” In Ely, at the height of the wildfires, there was a more than 50 percent drop in visitor days.

UMD research assistant Michael Vasichek and executive director at Visit Cook County and the Cook County Chamber of Commerce Linda Jurek joined Minnesota Now host Nina Moini to talk about the numbers and recovery since then.