Superior National Forest stops accepting wildfire donations after bear damage

Authorities with Superior National Forest and those battling the Greenwood Fire in northern Minnesota have stopped accepting donations due to bear damage.

Monday morning, the U.S. Forest Service said it is having to mitigate bear damage and minimize the risk to its staff because so many donations have been received and the only remaining storage space is on pallets out in the open, which is attracting bears.

The forest service said it already has had two instances of bear damage.

"We understand the genuine concern, and undeniable generosity of community members, but we need to be able to return the focus of our logistics staff to supporting the Greenwood Fire and our fire fighters, and we can no longer accept any donations," the forest service said on social media on Monday.

Instead of accepting any more donations, officials are urging anyone wanting to help to donate to local food banks or a local fire department. The forest service said it also appreciates any cards or signs along the road thanking firefighters.

As of Monday morning, officials said the Greenwood Fire remained just over 40 square miles in size and was 14% contained. Significant rainfall over the weekend helped crews considerably.