BWCAW fire burns near Ely

Crews were battling a wildfire in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness northwest of Ely on Sunday evening.

Jean Goad, a spokeswoman for the Minnesota Interagency Fire Center in Grand Rapids, said the fire is in the Superior National Forest about 11 miles north of Eagles Nest Lake — in the Cummings Lake area. It was estimated at about 50 acres on Sunday evening.

According to the Duluth News-Tribune, the fire, about 12 miles northwest of Ely and 15 miles northeast of Tower, was first reported Sunday afternoon.

Five aircraft were taking part in battling the flames, including two Minnesota Department of Natural Resources CL-215 water-scooping planes and a U.S. Forest Service Beaver aircraft. Ground crews were on their way to the remote site.

No structures had burned or were immediately threatened. Fire danger remains high across the Northland after an extended period of warm, dry weather.