Closures Ordered As BWCA Forest Fire Grows

ELY, Minn. (AP) -- A forest fire in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area near Ely has grown to about 4,500 acres.

Fire officials said Sunday that dry air and north winds pushed the Pagami Creek Fire father south Saturday, so authorities are moving campers out of the area from Lakes Two through Hudson and the Isabella River. Several waterways, entry points and portages in that area have been closed, including the popular Lake One and Isabella Lake entry points.

Campers already in the Boundary Waters can exit through the closed routes. Public safety crews are assisting visitors as they leave the affected lakes and routes.

Officials say the vast majority of the BWCA remains safe and open to visitors. But campfires are now allowed only from 6 p.m. to midnight.

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