Lightning likely caused wildfire near Minnesota's North Shore, MNICS says
Firefighters and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources are responding to a wildfire in a remote area of the Arrowhead.
According to the Minnesota Incident Command System, firefighters first detected smoke last week near the Caribou River, close to the George H. Crosby Manitou State Park. That's about 10 miles southwest of Tofte on Lake Superior.
MNICS now believes a lightning strike is what started the fire.
As of early Tuesday, the estimated size of the fire is about 300 acres, and it's about 70% contained.
The DNR and Superior National Forest firefighters are responding to the blaze. Officials are asking for the public to avoid the area for their safety and the safety of fire personnel.
A portion of the Superior Hiking Trail was closed on Friday morning from Caribou Falls State Wayside Rest to Lake County Road 7.
Northern Minnesota has seen several large wildfires this summer. The Camp House Fire and Jenkins Creek Fire both started in May and took weeks to get under control. The fires destroyed over 28,000 acres combined.
Early last month, a 27-year-old was charged with a misdemeanor for leaving a campfire unattended, which started the Camp House Fire.