Are You Impacted by the BWCA Fires?

The Minnesota Boundary Waters Canoe Area has been clouded with smoke this week as strong winds and warm temperatures helped rapidly accelerate a forest fire.

According to MPR, 100,000 acres, or about 160 square miles, have burned, and the fire remains uncontained.

A downloadable copy of the map is available online, courtesy of WTIP–North Shore Community Radio.

Smoke from the massive fire has already traveled some 400 miles into the Chicago area, as noted by and .

The fire didn't grow appreciably, due to cold temperatures, on Wednesday, officials told MPR, but they are cautious to declare the spread of the forest fire over.

"It only takes one tree," incident commander Jim Hinds told MPR. "If it goes up in flames and throws sparks across the creek, the game's on again, so we're cautious about calling something safe and contained until we actually feel comfortable with it."

Already, the Pagami Creek fire is one of the largest in the region in the last 100 years.

It has crept northward, toward the Blowdown Area created by a storm back on July 4, 1999. If it reaches that area, it could consume thousands of more acres.

If you have a connection to the area—such as a family cabin—we want to hear your story. Please email local editor Mike Schoemer at mike.schoemer@patch.com.

If you have photos of the blaze, we want to see those, too. Patch users can add them directly to this article by clicking "Add your own photos and videos" above. Or, you can email them as we