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Chengwatana State Forest wildfire: Aerials
A wildfire in the Chengwatana State Forest has prompted the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to temporarily close part of the forest as responders work to contain the blaze and put it out.
PINE CITY, Minn. (FOX 9) - A wildfire in the Chengwatana State Forest in eastern Minnesota is now 20% contained, according to fire officials.
What we know
About 4,500 acres of the Chengwatana State Forest is temporarily closed as fire officials battle a 167-acre wildfire that was first reported on Oct. 17.
The fire is now 20% contained as firefighter resources "continue mop up on the fire," the Minnesota Incident Command System (MNCIS) said in an update Tuesday morning.
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"Resources continue to secure containment lines to decrease the potential for fire spread," MNCIS said. "Firefighters are monitoring leaf drop and watching for burning vegetation that could blow across containment lines."
Firefighters will continue to "mop up" along the fire perimeter, working their way inward to extinguish any hot spots. They'll continue monitoring and suppress any new smoke or hot spots from fallen leaves.
MNCIS described the fire's behavior as "smoldering and creeping." MNCIS noted the terrain and access to the fire has been challenging, and they're using tracked equipment to traverse the "difficult terrain."
What we don’t know
Officials have not said what caused the wildfire.