Greenwood Fire doubles in size

The wildfire burns in northeastern Minnesota while the Boundary Waters' John Ek fire spreads, too

View this email as a web page Aug. 24, 2021 Good evening, The Greenwood Fire burning in northeastern Minnesota has nearly doubled in size in the last 24 hours and burned through an area dotted with dozens of homes and cabins. The blaze has now burned more than 30 square miles of forest south and west of the town of Isabella. Fire information officer Clark McCreedy says crews have not been able to get into the McDougal Lakes area yet to confirm whether any structures were destroyed. He says it will be another day or two before there are hard estimates of the damage. Meanwhile the John Ek Fire burning in the Boundary Waters has grown to about 1,500 acres. The U.S. Forest Service has closed the entire wilderness area through at least Friday. The Lake County Sheriff’s Office says it evacuated 290 homes and cabins. In weather, it'll be partly cloudy tonight with a slight chance of thunderstorms. Lows in the 50s up north to 60s in the south. Tomorrow: cooler and less muggy. Subscribe to our Minnesota Today podcast to get up-to-date Minnesota news twice daily. — Hannah Yang, MPR News COVID-19 in MN: No signs of a peak; officials worry over State Fair crowds Concerned about viral spread at the Minnesota State Fair, health officials on Tuesday implored people to stay vigilant against the disease. “We aren't going to wish away this virus,” state infectious disease director Kris Ehresmann told reporters. Virus fears lead around 150 vendors to skip Minnesota State Fair Around 150 vendors will be missing when the Minnesota State Fair returns Thursday from a one-year layoff due to the pandemic. Many pulled out due to COVID-19 fears, staffing shortages and supply chain issues. GOP donor Lazzaro seeks release as he appears in court New details about the charges against Anton Lazzaro emerged in court as he sought release from custody pending trial. His arrest on child sex trafficking charges contributed to upheaval in the state Republican Party’s leadership. SPONSOR 2021 Paralympics are here: Meet the Minnesota athletes Thirteen athletes with Minnesota ties will compete in the Tokyo Paralympics games. They range in sports from basketball to swimming to judo. The action starts Tuesday. Brooklyn Park Mayor-elect on gun violence, narrow margin of victory Monday night, Brooklyn Park City Council Member Lisa Jacobson won the city’s special mayoral election by just two votes. The new Mayor-elect spoke with host Cathy Wurzer about how she plans to curb a recent rise in gun violence in the Twin Cities suburb. Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts dies at 80 Charlie Watts, the unshakeable drummer for The Rolling Stones, died this morning. According to a publicist, he died in a hospital in London, surrounded by family. No cause of death was given. He was 80 years old. Preference Center ❘ Unsubscribe This email was sent by: Minnesota Public Radio 480 Cedar Street Saint Paul, MN, 55101