An 82-acre wildfire that had been burning since Labor Day near the Carlton County city of Barnum, Minnesota, is now 100% contained thanks to the efforts of first responders.
Officials with the Minnesota Incident Command System said Tuesday morning that the fire received 40 inches of rain overnight as crews mopped up the fire with heavy equipment on Monday.
“100% containment means a strong line has been established around the fire so that there's no chance of the fire escaping and growing at this point,” Christine Kolinski, an MNICS Team B Public Information Officer, said. “This has come into fruition from lots of hard work from all the resources on the fire and a little bit of help from Mother Nature with the cooler temperatures and a little bit of precipitation the last couple of days.”
A team was planning to conduct a final infrared flight on Tuesday to identify remaining hot areas in the area. With no fire spread expected, the MNICS planned to turn the fire over to the local DNR office.
Kolinski said on Tuesday that the cause of the fire was under investigation but that the fire was caused by humans.
tThe public is asked not to enter the fire area as it remains an active wildfire.