Good morning,

It's Monday, July 26. It looks like we start the week with another round of hot summer days.

Today: Humid air pushes across the state, adding to the storm risk and making the already high temperatures feel even warmer.

A helicopter drops water on the Delta Lake fire east of Ely, Minn., earlier this month.
| Courtesy Superior National Forest

Drought conditions fuel fires, concern in northern Minnesota

Officials with northern Minnesota's Superior National Forest say they saw a flare-up of fire activity on Sunday as low humidity and gusty winds — combined with the ongoing drought — created dangerous fire conditions.

Authorities reported Sunday evening that the Phantom Creek and Bear Creek fires about 10 miles west of Ely "are getting some suppression action due to increased fire behavior.”

"Expect to see several aircraft dipping out of Lake Vermilion and making water drops on both fires to slow movement so personnel on the ground can take action," the Forest Service reported. Officials said any boaters out on the lake who see firefighting aircraft at work should move to shore.

A red flag warning was in effect Sunday afternoon for northeastern and much of north-central Minnesota, and Superior National Forest officials reported that conditions were "very windy and very dry."

Some water wells coming up empty in parts of Minnesota

Abnormally dry conditions are threatening some private water wells that rely on rain to recharge.

In severe cases, shallow wells are out of water.

Sparked by pandemic fallout, homeschooling surges across U.S.

Although the pandemic disrupted family life across the U.S. since taking hold in spring 2020, some parents are grateful for one consequence: They're now opting to homeschool their children, even as schools plan to resume in-person classes.

The specific reasons vary widely. Some families who spoke with The Associated Press have children with special educational needs; others seek a faith-based curriculum or say their local schools are flawed. The common denominator: They tried homeschooling on what they thought was a temporary basis and found it beneficial to their children.