Lightning sparked fire along North Shore, fire officials report
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A strike of lightning sparked a wildfire along the North Shore, Minnesota Interagency Fire officials reported Saturday.
The Crosby Fire burning in George H. Crosby Manitou State Park has grown to 260 acres after northwest winds fanned flames on Friday. A portion of the Superior Hiking Trail has been closed due to the fire.
Fire officials report that the wildfire is 45 percent contained and crews have deployed water-scooping aircraft and a helicopter to assist firefighters on the ground. They plan to lay a hose line on the fire’s east side to provide easier access to water to cool down stumps and downed trees that could continue smoldering.
Efforts to set up a handline around the fire’s west and east perimeters have helped contain the blaze, they report, and they’ll build out additional lines to fight uncontained parts of the wildfire’s perimeter.
The fire was first detected on Wednesday, burning on a remote ridge within the park, a couple miles inland from Lake Superior and State Highway 61.
Part of the Superior Hiking Trail between Caribou Falls State Wayside Rest along Minnesota State Highway 61 and the Lake County Road 7, or Cramer Road, access points is closed due to the fire. The George H. Crosby Manitou State Park remains open.
The public is advised not to fly drones in the area. Firefighting aircraft will stop them, if they are detected.
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