Crosby fire grows to 160 acres, now 25% contained

As of Friday evening, firefighters have made progress containing the Crosby fire, which is now 25% contained. With better access to the fire perimeter, the fire has been mapped at 160 acres.

A predicted change in weather on Friday calls for increased and shifting winds from the south to northwest, creating a potential to push the fire toward the Superior Hiking Trail.

A portion of the Superior Hiking Trail within the George H. Crosby Manitou State Park will temporarily close at 8 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, due to the Crosby Fire.

The trail will be closed between the Caribou Falls State Wayside Rest and the Lake County Road 7 (Cramer Road) access points. The state park remains open.

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS sister station, WDIO, spoke with a representative from the Minnesota Interagency Fire Center, who told us that numbers were expected to change on Friday.

“We’ll likely see some numbers adjust as we’ve had more staff out in the fire area throughout the day,” explained Leanne Langeberg, Public Information Officer with the Minnesota Interagency Fire Center. “Today, they’ve been able to do a little bit better mapping and just getting a better handle on the overall situation.”

Langeberg continued saying ground and air crews have helped to cool and slow the active flames and that 27 firefighters have been directly involved, but that the remote hilly terrain has provided some challenges.

The fire is fueled by a mixture of hardwoods and leaf litter, but the cause of the fire is still unknown. However, Langeberg did have advice to help prevent wildfires.

She said that if people are engaged in outdoor activities with anything that involves a heat source, like a campfire, they should make sure fires are completely put out and cold before they are left unattended.

“[It’s] best drowning them out with water, stirring the pile to make sure that those coals that were hot underneath get brought to the surface to round it out again to the point you can hold your hand onto the coals.”

Firefighters detected smoke in a remote area near the Caribou River shortly after 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday.

George H. Crosby Manitou State Park and the Superior Hiking Trail remain open for public use. With firefighters in the area, visitors are encouraged to be cautious.

The public is asked to stay away from the area for their own safety and the safety of personnel. Drones are not permitted in the area.

Firefighters with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the Superior National Forest are responding to the fire, along with multiple aircraft.

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