Authorities fought a northeastern Minnesota wildfire from the air and on the ground Tuesday, following the evacuation of about 75 residences in the Superior National Forest, reports the AP.
Two helicopters, one airplane, eight engines, two bulldozers, and two tracked vehicles were on call to battle the Greenwood Lake fire, which had expanded to about 3.1 square miles. The Minnesota National Guard is assisting in the firefighting efforts, the report notes.
Lake County sheriff’s deputies and emergency management personnel went door to door Monday to notify residents that they were in the evacuation zone.
The cause of the fire has not been determined, and the lake is located about 15 miles southwest of Isabella, the nearest town.
A helicopter drops fire retardant on a portion of the Greenwood Fire near Highway 2 as it moves northeast on Monday, Aug. 16, 2021, in Duluth, Minn. The wildfire has continued to grow and spread towards the northeast as firefighters battle the flames from both the ground and air. (Alex Kormann/Star Tribune via AP) Smoke rises above the Superior National Forest as the Greenwood Fire burns through towards Highway 2 on Monday, Aug. 16, 2021, in Duluth, Minn. The wildfire has continued to grow and spread towards the northeast as firefighters battle the flames from both the ground and air. (Alex Kormann/Star Tribune via AP) Planes circle the Greenwood Fire as they scoop water from Sand Lake and drop it on the wildfire as it moves northeast on Monday, Aug. 16, 2021, in Duluth, Minn. The wildfire has continued to grow and spread towards the northeast as firefighters battle the flames from both the ground and air. (Alex Kormann/Star Tribune via AP) This Aug. 15, 2021, photo provided by U.S. Forest Service-Superior National Forest shows a rapidly growing wildfire in northeastern Minnesota that has prompted some evacuations, the U.S. Forest Service said Monday, Aug. 16, 2021. The fire was spotted around 3 p.m. Sunday near Greenwood Lake, about 15 miles southwest of Isabella, in the Superior National Forest. (Nick Petrack/Forest Service-Superior National Forest via AP)