Smoky skies over northeast Minnesota as wildfires continue to burn

Thick smoke is clogging the air and small pieces of ash are falling from the sky over Ely this morning.

Seventeen wildfires are burning across northern Minnesota, most concentrated in the area northwest of Ely. In total, the fires have burned about 35,000 acres or 55 square miles, an area about the same size as the city of St. Paul.

Evacuations continue near the Fernberg Road corridor east of Ely, an area with many homes and cabins, along with parts of the Echo Trail northwest of Ely.

The winds are expected to be a little lighter today and temperatures about 10 degrees cooler than Tuesday, which is good news for the crews fighting the fires.

St. Louis County Sheriff Gordon Ramsay said fire officials are still concerned about how fast the fires have moved and the amount of fuel, such as dead trees, that remains in the forest.

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