Photos: BWCA firefighting grows more complex

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Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness — Steve Malzacher of Rock Hill Fire Corporation scans the forest for hot spots after stamping one out Thursday afternoon north of Island River in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness while fighting the Pagami Creek Fire. Malzacher is from Duluth, Minn. There are now about 500 firefighters struggling to control the fire. (MPR Photo/Derek Montgomery) link to this photo

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A section of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness burned during the Pagami Creek Fire Thursday afternoon about 12 miles north of Isabella, Minn. (MPR Photo/Derek Montgomery) link to this photo

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Isabella, Minn. — Lori Anderson (left) of Isabella, Minn. talks to John Wytanis, U.S. Forest Service District Range for the Tofte District, which includes Isabella, about how the fire started Thursday morning after an informational meeting about the progress of the fire and containment efforts ended at the Isabella Community Center. (MPR Photo/Derek Montgomery) link to this photo

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Isabella, Minn. — Bob Sandman, Incident Commander for the Pagami Creek Fire, talks to concerned citizens of Isabella, Minn. and the surrounding area about the progress of the fire and containment efforts Thursday morning at the Isabella Community Center. (MPR Photo/Derek Montgomery) link to this photo

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Isabella, Minn. — Lynden Gerdes (2nd from right) asks a question to Bob Sandman, Incident Commander for the Pagami Creek Fire, about the progress of the fire Thursday morning at the Isabella Community Center in Isabella, Minn. Seated to the left of Gerdes is Kahsha Hyde (blue jacket) and Pat Jouppi (red shirt), both of Isabella, Minn. Seated to the right of Gerdes is Jim Cooper who also lives in Isabella. All were there to learn about the progress of the fire and containment efforts. (MPR Photo/Derek Montgomery) link to this photo

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Isabella, Minn. — A section of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness that burned during the Pagami Creek Fire on Thursday afternoon about 12 miles north of Isabella, Minn. (MPR Photo/Derek Montgomery) link to this photo

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Isabella, Minn. — A burned pinecone still attached to its branch in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is embelmeattic of the devastation left after the Pagami Creek Fire swept through an area about 12 miles north of Isabella, Minn. (MPR Photo/Derek Montgomery) link to this photo

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Firefighting crews from the Rocky Mountain West go through canoe and water safety training on at the Boy Scouts' Charles L. Sommers National High Adventure Base on Moose Lake Thursday, Sept. 15, 2011 before they head out to the fire lines on Friday. Many had never paddled a canoe before. (MPR Photo/Dan Kraker) link to this photo

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A Department of Natural Resources firefighting plane floats in Snowbank Lake. About 300 firefighters are working to contain the wildfire in the Boundary Waters Canoeing Area wilderness. (Courtesy of John Hotaling) link to this photo

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Ely, MN, USA — From left: Gov. Mark Dayton, Rep. Chip Cravaack, Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Sen. Al Franken listen to a U.S. Forest Service official speak about the Pagami Creek wildfire at the Ely airport on Friday, Sept. 16, 2011. (MPR Photo/Steve Foss) link to this photo

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Insula, Minn. — A view of the Pagami Creek Fire taken by MPR listener Bob Anderson shortly before he evacuated the area on Monday, Sept. 12, 2011. (Courtesy of Bob Anderson) link to this photo

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Isabella, MN, USA — Plumes of smoke from the Pagami Creek fire rise over trees on Tomahawk Road near Isabella, Minn. on Sunday, Sept. 11, 2011. (MPR Photo/Steve Foss) link to this photo

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Isabella, MN, USA — Plumes of smoke from the Pagami Creek fire rise over trees on Tomahawk Road near Isabella, Minn. on Sunday, Sept. 11, 2011. (MPR Photo/Steve Foss) link to this photo

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Ely, MN, USA — Plumes of smoke from the Pagami Creek fire rise over trees on White Iron Lake, just east of Ely, Minn. on Sunday, Sept. 11, 2011. (MPR Photo/Steve Foss) link to this photo

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Ely, MN, USA — Clouds and plumes of smoke from the Pagami Creek fire rise over trees over Garden Lake just east of Ely, Minn. on Sunday, Sept. 11, 2011. (MPR Photo/Steve Foss) link to this photo