According to an update from the Minnesota Interagency Fire Center, the fire that has scorched 300 acres of maple trees and fall leaf litter in George H. Crosby Manitou State Park was about 70% contained.
The blaze, which was started by a lightning strike, was detected last week along a ridge near the Caribou River in the park, about 10 miles southwest of Tofte.
Map of the Crosby fire burning in North Shore.
Map of the Crosby fire burning on the North Shore.
A portion of the Superior Hiking Trail within the park remains temporarily closed because of the Crosby fire. The trail’s access points from Caribou Falls State Wayside, along Hwy. 61, to Lake County Road 7 are closed, but the state park remains open.
On Monday, fire crews continued to work on the containment line and mop up hot spots around the fire.
Over the weekend, firefighters placed a hose on the blaze’s east side near smoldering logs and stumps to cool hot spots and improve access to water while they worked on containing the blaze. Helicopters and water-scooping aircraft have been assisting.
A water-scooping aircraft flies near the Crosby fire in North Shore.
A water-scooping aircraft flies near the Crosby fire on the North Shore.
In May, the Camp House and Jenkins Creek wildfires scorched 45 square miles of land north of Duluth, burning 150 structures before hundreds of firefighters contained it.
Officials say the Jenkins Fire was “human-caused,” and they are continuing to investigate. Last month, investigators charged a Duluth man with causing the Camp House fire, after determining that the 27-year-old man failed to put out a fire on his property.