Wildfire continues to burn in Superior National Forest

As of Thursday, the USDA Forest Service says that the Fry Fire burning in the Superior National Forest is still uncontained. The blaze was originally first reported around 1:00 p.m. in the Tofte Ranger District on Wednesday afternoon. As of noon, the next day it had grown to 209 acres plus 56 acres already burned in the prescribed area.

Authorities say the Fry Fire was spotted within the prescribed fire project area, beyond the planned burn area.

Aircrafts were called in to suppress the fire. The USDA says these were effective in slowing the immediate fire spread.

Additional crews and engines were brought in to help contain the fire. They worked throughout the evening and and late into night.

Cloud cover and humidity levels increased which helped ease fire activity. Thursday morning the area got .1 inches of light rain. Crew continued to work Thursday morning.

The Fry Fire started only a few miles from the location of the Greenwood Fire which started in August, 2021 and burned over 26,000 acres. More than a dozen homes and cabins were destroyed in that fire and portions of the area were closed through the winter for safety reasons.

The Fry Fire is still an active situation and WDIO News will provide updates as they become available.

According to Superior National Forest officials, prescribed burns help reduce hazardous fuel build up and the risk of more intense wildfire. The burns help maintain a healthy forest and eliminate invasive species.