September 13, 2011
Fire raging in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness continues to spread. Authorities now estimate that the wildfire in northern Minnesota has engulfed about 100,000 acres -- about ten times its reported size just 24 hours ago.
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The Pagami Creek Fire continues to burn across the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Tuesday afternoon about 10 miles north of Isabella, Minn. (Derek Montgomery for MPR) link to this photo
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The Pagami Creek Fire continues to burn across the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Tuesday afternoon about 10 miles north of Isabella, Minn. (Derek Montgomery for MPR) link to this photo
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The Pagami Creek Fire continues to burn across the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Authorities now estimate that the wildfire in northern Minnesota has engulfed about 100,000 acres. (Derek Montgomery for MPR) link to this photo
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The northern Minnesota fire grew rapidly in the last 24 hours - from 11,000 acres to more than 60,000 acres by midday Tuesday. Authorities now estimate that the wildfire in northern Minnesota has engulfed about 100,000 acres. (Derek Montgomery for MPR) link to this photo
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Large sections of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and several entry points to popular camping and canoeing areas have been closed as a precaution. The fire was caused by lightning that struck the Pagami Creek area on Aug. 18. (Derek Montgomery for MPR) link to this photo
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The Pagami Creek Fire continues to burn across the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Windy conditions helped the fire spread quickly -- 16 miles on Monday, Sept. 12, 2011. (Derek Montgomery for MPR) link to this photo
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Authorities warned about 200 home and business owners on Tuesday that they might need to evacuate if the fire raging in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness continues to spread. (Derek Montgomery for MPR) link to this photo
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Gov. Mark Dayton, in an emergency order to mobilize the resources of the National Guard to aid firefighting efforts, said the fire had spread to more than 75,000 acres by late Tuesday afternoon. Authorities said more accurate mapping led them to reach an estimate of 100,000 acres by Tuesday evening. (Derek Montgomery for MPR) link to this photo
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Authorities said Tuesday they might need to evacuate residents of Isabella, a small town southeast of the blaze, if the fire cannot be contained. The Lake County sheriff's office had already evacuated 36 homes and businesses along County Road 7 just north of Isabella. Another 240 structures are on a standby evacuation order. The Red Cross set up a shelter in a nearby community center. (Derek Montgomery for MPR) link to this photo
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Windy conditions helped the fire spread quickly -- 16 miles on Monday. Cooler temperatures and rainfall Tuesday aided firefighting efforts, and are expected again on Wednesday. (Derek Montgomery for MPR) link to this photo
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Most of the fire remains within the wilderness area, with no reports of injuries or serious property damage, but several entry points to popular camping and canoeing areas have been closed as a precaution. The fire was caused by lightning that struck the Pagami Creek area on Aug. 18. (Derek Montgomery for MPR) link to this photo
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