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Firefighters Work To Control BWCA Wildfire

ELY, Minn. (AP) -- Firefighters are working to control a wildfire in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness east of Ely.

Minnesota Public Radio News reports the Pagami Creek fire grew to 720 acres as crews intentionally burned land between the blaze and the popular Lakes 1 and 2 over the Labor Day weekend.

Firefighters plan to burn another 1,200 acres Tuesday to keep the fire from spreading outside the wilderness area.

MPR reports more than 1,000 firefighters are working to control the blaze.

Lisa Radosevich-Craig, fire information officer for the Superior National Forest, says the part of the forest where the fire is burning is parched.

She says three other much smaller fires ignited in the same area over the past few days, but those were all quickly controlled.

(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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