ELY, MN - The weather is helping firefighters get a handle on one of the worst wildfires in Minnesota's history.
Thanks to recent rain, they're slowing the fire's spread.
And now that it's burned 147-square miles, it's clear it'll take a lot of help to put it out.
Firefighters are working around the clock in Northeastern Minnesota battling what's being called the worst fire the area has seen in over a century.
Crews are being called in from across the country to help out.
Area fire departments said no local firefighters are being sent to Ely to help out because wildfires are much different than your typical fire and require special training and equipment.
There are nearly 600 firefighters battling the blaze that's ravaging Northeastern Minnesota.
Some of those fighting the flames come from as far away as Connecticut.
"I went to California in 2008, and we went to Canada last summer," said Rich Scalora.
Scalora is one of the more than a dozen firefighters from Connecticut being sent by the US Forest Service to help fight the fire, which is burning near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.
The remote location of the blaze makes things a lot more challenging for fire crews.
"In a wild land situation, there might not be any kind of good access for miles from where a fire might be so to get firefighters and whatever equipment they can use can take some creative means," said Captain Lee DeVries of the Albert Lea Fire Department.
That's something DeVries doesn't have to worry about when battling fires in a city setting.
"We've got access to just about anywhere in town within a few hundred feet of where we might need to go," DeVries said.
Another major setback that crews fighting wildfires face is water supply.
"To get water in they might have to use aircraft," said DeVries.
And the unpredictable weather that Minnesota is famous for this time of year is another added challenge.
"The way the weather changes affects how the firefighters are approaching a fire," DeVries said.
As Scalora starts his two week mission in Northern Minnesota, he's keeping his focus on staying safe and getting back home.
"It's two weeks, we'll be back," said Scalora.
Officials say the fire is now 19 percent contained.
They said the recent rain and cooler temperatures have allowed them to gain some ground on the flames.
While winds are expected to pick-up, firefighters said it will take about five or six days for things to dry up enough for the fire activity to increase.
Year-round residents in the mandatory evacuation area east of Isabella are now allowed access to their property, but the zone remains closed to seasonal residents and the public.
