One month after lightning ignited the Greenwood fire in northern Minnesota, a vast majority of the nearly 27,000-acre blaze is contained.
The U.S. Forest Service reported that the fire in the Superior National Forest was 67% contained as of Sunday morning.
"The team is feeling really good about how things are looking out there. There's been a lot of great work done and progress made taking advantage of this cooler weather," said Forest Service spokeswoman Stefani Spencer. "The containment is pretty much growing every day."
Last week, the Forest Service saidthe fire was just shy of being 50% contained as hundreds of firefighters were still being dispatched to battle it.
Spencer added that "the public is happy to have the roads open." In recent days, all traffic opened along Hwy. 2. She said the closure was an inconvenience and frustration for folks traveling to Ely. Hwy. 1 remains closed near Lankinen Road.
Since the fire started Aug. 15 about 10 miles southwest of Isabella, 14 cabins and homes along with 57 outbuildings were destroyed, and many residents in the area were evacuated. But in recent weeks, some residents were allowed to return to homes and cabins after the fire lost intensity.
McDougal Lake, where the most damage occurred, is still under an evacuation order. Southwest of Greenwood Lake, nine firefighters were deployed Saturday via boat to contain pockets of heat in areas difficult to access. That small crew will remain there for several days, the Forest Service said, adding that crews operating heavy equipment around McDougal Lake will continue removing hazardous trees so more property owners can safely return. Spencer said McDougal Lake is the only area where a few people are still out of their homes.
The fire is not expected to grow now that cooler weather is moving into the Great Lakes region. High temperatures are forecast to cap out in the upper 60s while northwest winds will hover around 5 mph. Unlike when the blaze began during intense drought, high winds and heat, the fire's aggressive behavior now is reduced, Spencer said.
"The weather is a big factor," she said. "It provides the opportunity to go in right up against the edge of the fire and work, whereas previously they didn't have that opportunity."
Kim Hyatt • 612-673-4751
