The U.S. Air Force says eight people aboard a B-52 bomber that crashed shortly after takeoff at a military base in Southern California’s Mojave Desert are dead.
Officials with the Superior National Forest are ending the temporary campfire ban in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, after recent rainfall eased fire danger across northern Minnesota.
A wildfire that has burned an estimated 33 acres near Ely was believed to be caused by U.S. Forest Service crews conducting prescribed burn preparation work to improve forest health and resilience.
The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness campfire ban goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. Saturday and is set to run through June 30. It covers campfires and any stoves or grills fueled by wood or charcoal.
The Birch Bay Fire burning near Burntside Lake about eight miles northwest of Ely has burned 30-35 acres. Nine cabins have been evacuated, but no structures have burned.
The Birch Bay Fire has burned about 25 to 30 acres near the North Arm of Burntside Lake, about eight miles outside Ely. Nine cabins have been evacuated.
The county board extended its local emergency for the Flanders fire and is working to assess the cost of damages. The investigation continues into who is responsible for causing the blaze, which is now fully contained.
Man-made firebreaks, like dozer lines created by heavy machinery and hand lines dug by firefighters, help stop flames from spreading — but so do natural barriers like beaver ponds.
Highway 61 between Two Harbors and Silver Bay was closed for several days as firefighters worked to control the Stewart Trail Fire. With the fire now fully contained, the highway has reopened ahead of a busy holiday weekend for travel.
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