Firefighters continue to battle Carlton County wildfire

Efforts to battle a wildfire in Carlton County resumed Tuesday morning.

The county says deputies first learned of smoke coming from an area near County Road 8 and County Road 11 near Barnum — around 40 miles southeast of Duluth — at around 5:25 p.m. Monday. Authorities then learned it was a wildfire, which quickly grew to over 10 acres and started getting close to houses.

By Monday night, the fire had expanded to around 40 acres in size, and several property owners in the area were notified, the sheriff’s office says.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources deployed aircraft to drop water on the flames Monday night, which helped suppression efforts. However, the Minnesota Interagency Fire Center said the fire was active Tuesday morning and aircraft were called back to help battle the flames.

While no evacuations have been ordered and all roads remain open, the fire center says some structures are threatened.

In addition to the DNR aircraft, four local fire departments are working to contain the wildfire.

Drivers on County Roads 8 and 11 are asked to slow down to ensure the safety of firefighters and first responders in the area.