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St. Paul, Minn.

Aerial photos of the fire in BWCA

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Pagami Creek Fire
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

Photos by Derek Montgomery.

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. The finding prompted the closure of large sections of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness on Tuesday evening.

The northern Minnesota fire grew rapidly in the last 24 hours - from 11,000 acres to more than 60,000 acres by midday Tuesday. 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 the 100,000 figure by Tuesday evening.

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Fire in the Border Waters Cannoeing Area
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
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Pagami Creek Fire
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
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Pagami Creek Fire
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