Rain in northern Minnesota is expected to deliver only a brief lull, with authorities warning hotter, drier and windier weather early next week will hinder containment and could spark new fires.
The Southern Area Complex Incident Management Team took command Saturday as clearer skies let crews remap the fire zone at just over 71,000 acres in Minnesota, plus 6,000 acres from the Little Knife fire that crossed from Canada.
Bear Trap, the largest blaze, has burned about 35,000 acres north of Ely, where crews are protecting homes on Big Lake and along the Echo Trail and reinforcing lines to keep the fire from moving south.
Thumb has grown past 15,000 acres near the Canadian border, Sioux covers about 11,000 acres including parts of the Boundary Waters, and Camp is estimated at 4,000 acres near Winton.
Strong thunderstorms forecast for Sunday night into Monday could further complicate suppression before high heat, low humidity and strong winds raise wildfire danger across the Northland.