ISABELLA, Minn. — An intentional fire set by Superior National Forest crews to reduce fuels for future forest fires is burning outside its intended area in Lake County and is being battled as a wildfire.

Forest Service officials said the fire “spotted” outside the 72-acre intended burn area on the Fry fire in the Tofte District of the Superior National Forest.

Both air and ground crews were being used to battle the North Shore blaze, which was declared a wildfire at 1 p.m. Wednesday.

The fire is just north of Minnesota 1, near the Little Isabella River campground, and just south of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

Light rain, higher humidity and cooler temperatures Thursday were helping with firefighting efforts, allowing ground crews to hem in the blaze. No private property or structures were threatened.

The Fry fire is one of several planned and already conducted this spring across the national forest to reduce areas that have a heavy buildup of dead and dying trees that would be ripe for a future wildfire, such as areas hit by windstorms or infested with the spruce budworm.

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