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State and federal officials working to gain control of fires burning across northeastern Minnesota offered little hope Wednesday of a quick end to the battle. One said he expected the firefight to continue into the fall; another said “fires will be here until it snows.”

Briefing reporters early Wednesday afternoon, those officials also said a new fire was identified coming in from Ontario, Canada. Now known as the Little Knife Fire, it’s estimated at 28,000 acres with about 6,000 acres in Minnesota west of the Gunflint Trail.

Given the conditions and weather forecasts, “I highly feel like this is going on for a while,” Nick Petrack, fire management officer for the Superior and Chippewa National Forests, told reporters of the overall firefighting effort. “If we do see some rain, that does not mean the fire is out.”

Officials continued to caution that conditions were extremely fluid and urged residents to stay vigilant on “ready-set-go” orders for possible evacuations. 

Petrack said in his 25 years in the Superior National Forest, this season had the most and number of fires in July that he’s seen.  “I would say we would be in this until fall.”

Watch: Officials brief reporters Wednesday afternoon on fires in NE Minnesota

Live updates: Wildfires in Minnesota

MPR News Staff

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State and federal officials working to gain control of fires burning across northeastern Minnesota offered little hope Wednesday of a quick end to the battle. One said he expected the firefight to continue into the fall; another said “fires will be here until it snows.”


Officials see NE Minnesota firefight continuing into the fall; new fire ID'd

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