The Pagami Creek Fire, which has burned in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness since August 18, is now 71% contained, according to firefighting officials.
The Duluth News Tribune has the latest update on the fire, HERE.
The cost of the firefighting effort to contain the roughly 93,000 acre blaze now tops $14 million according to the story. Starting this morning, a Minnesota-based, Level II firefighting team has taken over management of the fire. A Level I fire management team from the northern Rockies had overseen the effort since mid-September, after the fire raced across and outside the BWCAW after smoldering for nearly a month.
Record warm temperatures and southwesterly winds are forecast for the week, which could challenge containment efforts. Firefighting is currently focused on the fire’s northeastern and eastern lines, both of which are deep in the BWCAW.
Keep up-to-date with the progress of the firefighting effort, HERE, and the fire’s incident web site. Track the status of travel on roads, trails, and canoe routes in the area via the Superior National Forest web page, HERE.