Minnesota Forest Fire Now 11 Percent Contained

ELY, Minn. (AP) -- The weather is expected to clear and the winds pick up on Monday over the huge wildfire burning in northeastern Minnesota after a day of heavier-than-expected rain.

Doug Anderson, a spokesman for the firefighters, says the extra rain on Sunday should keep the fire from spreading while giving firefighters a chance to make more progress containing it.

On Sunday afternoon, the 147-square-mile fire was 11 percent contained, mostly on the northwestern and southern edges that are closest to the homes and cabins just outside the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

Anderson says the winds on Monday are expected to swing around to the west-northwest, which could blow smoke back over Lake Superior.

There are now 565 people assigned to fighting the fire.

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