DULUTH — A half-inch of rain helped calm a 70-acre Carlton County wildfire, but it continued to burn Wednesday, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
The department said six residences were evacuated Sept. 4, the night the fire was detected, with the occupants of three already able to return.
The fire is about 45 miles southwest of Duluth, near Barnum and on the east side of Interstate 35. It was first discovered in a swamp marshland near County Roads 8 and 11. Fueled by temperatures in the 90s and dry and windy conditions, the fire rapidly spread. Sections of County Roads 8 and 11 in the vicinity of the fire are now closed.
Aircraft from Minnesota and Ontario have dropped water on the blaze, which is now 10% contained. Nearly 70 crew members from the DNR and area fire departments continue to fight the fire on the ground.
Because of the region's severe drought, vegetation is stressed, and this week's rain isn't enough to ease wildfire concerns, said Leanne Langeberg, with the Minnesota Interagency Fire Center.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
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