Minnesota wildfires: 700+ crews battle blazes as containment grows

ELY, Minn. (FOX 9) - Firefighters are making progress against several large wildfires burning across northern Minnesota as authorities work to increase containment and reduce smoke pollution that has affected air quality.

Firefighters work to contain wildfires

What we know:

Cooler temperatures and recent rain have helped more than 700 firefighters as they battle more than a dozen wildfires across thousands of acres in northern Minnesota.

Crews have reportedly made noticeable progress in recent days on fires that have spread over large areas between Lake Superior, International Falls and Hibbing.

Dig deeper:

A recent update by St. Louis County Sheriff Gordon Ramsay says the Thumb fire is now 58% contained after burning about 16,000 acres to date, while the Bear Trap fire has burned nearly 30,000 acres and is about 34% contained currently. The Chub fire has also jumped to 85% containment after becoming one of the first fires to have containment progress made.

Despite gains on some fronts, the Little Knife fire is still 0% contained and has burned nearly 5,000 acres as of Wednesday morning.

What's next:

Authorities hope that a stretch of continued cool, dry weather ahead will help firefighters get the upper hand on the remaining wildfires in the northern regions of the state.

Meanwhile, many communities are banding together to gather supplies for those who have been adversely affected.

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