Minnesota officials are giving an update Monday afternoon about the effort to fight at least 15 wildfires burning up north.
According to Superior National Forest officials, most of the fires are raging north of the Echo Trail, west of Echo Lake and east of Highway 53. So far, at least 60,000 acres have been scorched. More than 600 firefighters from across the U.S. and Canada have converged in the area.
Officials believe the likely culprit behind these fires are lightning strikes, and the current weather isn’t helping much. According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, it’s so dry that just one spark could ignite a catastrophic wildfire.
Three of the fires are inside the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, including the largest active fire named the Thumb Fire, which alone has burned more than 14,000 acres. As of Sunday night, officials say some of those fires have merged, changing the number of fires burning.
The BWCA remains closed to campers until at least Friday as pilots and firefighters continue to flock to Ely to help contain the flames.
The second-largest fire currently is the Bear Trap Fire, which has burned more than 13,000 acres so far. It’s located about a mile from cabins, homes and resorts along Big Lake and the Echo Trail.
Burn restrictions are in effect across the state. Campfires and recreational fires are now banned in Cook, Koochiching, Lake and northern St. Louis counties, and parts of Itasca County. Parts of George Washington State Forest and Scenic State Park that extend into Itasca County are also under burn restrictions.
Gov. Tim Walz earlier this week extended a peacetime emergency through mid-September. The order directs additional resources to fight the fires, including the Minnesota National Guard.
This story will be updated.
Maria Lisignoli
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