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Firefighters plan to let the blaze spread to the east, where they hope it will be easier to control. Pawlenty will fly over the fire today.
National Guard crews from St. Paul flew north on Saturday to fight a fast-spreading wildfire in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA) as extreme fire warnings were issued across northern and western Minnesota and the hottest weather in a decade baked the state.
Gov. Tim Pawlenty ordered two Blackhawk helicopters to aid state and federal firefighters combating the blaze south of Seagull Lake, about 50 miles northwest of Grand Marais. He planned this afternoon to fly over the fire, which doubled in size by Saturday night to nearly 2.3 square miles.
Across Minnesota on Saturday, most highs were in the upper 90s, but the thermometer hit 100 degrees in more than a half-dozen cities. Cambridge and Ortonville topped the list at 102. Duluth's 96 broke a record -- by a degree -- set in 1887.
The fire is in the "blow-down area" where a windstorm flattened millions of trees on July 4, 1999. Since then, authorities have worked hard to prevent fires in that zone, fearing they could expand into a huge conflagration.
The smoke column from the fire was visible from Isle Royale in Lake Superior, more than 100 miles away.
The Blackhawks, with a total of 11 crew members and ground staff, are equipped with 500-gallon scoops to draw water from lakes and dump it on the fire. Water-scooping planes from Minnesota and Ontario already were attacking the fire Saturday, and fire officials are expecting another plane from North Carolina.
Plans were to let the fire spread eastward to an area where controlled burning had been implemented and where it would be easier to bring under control, said Ron Stoffel, of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. "The fire is now burning in heavy blow-down where we really can't do a lot with it," he said.
The National Weather Service issued a "red-flag warning" for the northern two-thirds of Minnesota, citing the "explosive fire growth potential" caused by high temperatures, low humidity and strong winds.
The Weather Service also issued a heat advisory for much of west-central and northwest Minnesota, warning of a hot air mass moving over the northern Great Plains.
The Twin Cities high officially was 99, but the Weather Service said St. Paul reached 100. A strong breeze helped keep things tolerable. Many residents sought relief the old-fashioned way, lounging in the shade and sticking close to lakes and streams.
At Minnehaha Park, children and adults frolicked in Minnehaha Creek, wading in the cool stream and even plunging in, clothes and all.
"We've got to be by the water, and then we'll survive," said Sarah McFarland of St. Paul, splashing in a shallow, shaded backwater with her children, 5-year-old Jaeden and 3-year-old Connor. "This is a great way to enjoy what's really a beautiful summer day."
John Yater of St. Petersburg, Fla., said he's visited the park's falls every day on his weeklong trip to the Twin Cities.
"I thought it would be nice and cool. Surprise, surprise, surprise," Yater said, lining up for a beer at the park's restaurant. "I wanted to get out of the heat, but I got right back into it."
Emergency officials were geared up to handle heat-related crises in the Twin Cities, but there were few to deal with. The 211 center run by the Greater Twin Cities United Way fielded some 300 calls -- about the normal number for a Saturday, said operations manager Marcos Michelli.
"The number of calls we anticipated, which was to surge dramatically, didn't materialize," Michelli said. The city of St. Paul opened 17 recreation centers Saturday, normally closed on weekends, from noon to 5 p.m. They will be open the same hours today, he said.
In Minneapolis, Aquatennial officials shortened the course for the Life Time Fitness Triathlon, which drew about 2,500 participants. Elite competitors ran the standard, Olympic-length course, which included a 1.5-kilometer swim, a 40K bike ride and a 10K run. But after the swim, the most anyone else was allowed to do was 35K biking and 5K running.
"We did have a few folks in the medical tent, but there were far more empty beds than last year," said spokesman Jason Thunstrom. "Compared to last year, there were far fewer people with problems."
Thunstrom said that saturation coverage of the heat wave last week in the Twin Cities helped competitors and spectators come prepared.
The triathlon's oldest competitor, 88-year-old Mary Stroebe of Madison, Wis., crossed the finish line "and was as chipper as ever," Thunstrom said. "She got a little Gatorade, and she was great."
A heat wave in the upper Midwest has people trying to stay cool, while the National Guard is activated by Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty to fight a new wildfire in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.  

Temperatures cracked 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius) in St. Paul, Minnesota, and reached a record-breaking 96 degrees Fahrenheit (35.5 Celsius)  in Duluth, Minnesota.

Smoke was spotted Friday afternoon in the wilderness area about one mile southwest of Seagull Lake.  This area of the 1 million acre wilderness was hit by a severe windstorm in 1999, which killed millions of trees, increasing concern about the future threat of wildfires.

Firefighters are not yet on the ground, as the fire is located in a remote area inaccessible by trails or lakes.  Helicopters have been called in to begin suppression efforts immediately.

Jean Bergerson, spokesperson for the Minnesota Inter-agency Fire Center, described the blaze as "well over 1,000" acres in size.  The cause of the fire is not yet known.

'''UPDATE:''' 

The flames continue to rage in Northern Minnesota as the fire expands by the hour, now engulfing more than 6,000 acres of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, as reported by the Minneapolis Star Tribune today.  

The purported cause of the fire is a lightning strike.

There are now over 60 firefighters stationed on the ground near the fire, though it is still considered too dangerous to combat the blaze directly.

This is the largest fire to take place in Minnesota in years, and has now spread to within 3 miles of the Gunflint Trail, though the trail may be protected by controlled burn zones put in place in recent years by the US Forest Service.  

Govenor Tim Pawlenty plans a fly-over of the afflicted area.