Humidity helps firefighters in northern Minn.

Officials at the Minnesota Interagency Fire Center say the clouds that covered skies throughout much of northern part of the state this weekend helped contain fires.

Spokeswoman Jean Goad said firefighters at the Pagami Creek fire in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, now about 78 percent contained, are especially upbeat and were helped by the weekend's wet weather.

"The clouds are helping to keep the humidity a little higher, so that helps," Goad said. "We're not really sure what's going to happen. If it gets dry again, we could be back to high fire danger. We hope that the cloud cover stays for a few days."

Crews are working on a couple of hotspots. Some crews nearing the end of their two-week shifts aren't being replaced, and Goad said that shows officials' confidence in the improving situation.

The Juneberry fire in northwest Minnesota's Roseau County is now 85 percent contained. Goad said a new fire west of the Juneberry blaze near the Manitoba border called the Cannon Fire encompasses 2,300 acres.

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