Crews are battling a fire burning in the Superior National Forest about 15 miles southeast of Ely, Minn.
The fire burning near August and Heart lakes was discovered Monday during an aerial observation and had remained confined to about 3 acres Tuesday and Wednesday, the U.S. Forest Service said.
"It is burning in heavy vegetation with difficult access," the Forest Service said in an update Wednesday. "The fire has continued to creep on the ground with 1–2-foot flame lengths."
On Wednesday a helicopter brought in firefighter gear including a pump and fire hose to lay around the fire.
Crews are using both aerial and ground suppression tactics to beat back the fire, which the Forest Service said is believed to have been started by lightning.
The fire is close to the Prospectors ATV trail. There have been no injuries associated with the fire and no campsites or trails have been closed, the Forest Service said.
The National Weather Service in Duluth forecast possible showers and thunderstorms Thursday all the way through early next week.
Staff writer Louis Krauss contributed to this story.
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