Updated at 8:40 p.m., Wednesday, May 15- (CNN) — One of the largest wildfires to hit northern Wisconsin is 95% contained, fire officials said Wednesday.
The 9,000-acre blaze scorched forest land and destroyed 47 buildings, 17 of those homes.
Bill Cosh with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources said the fire was 95% contained as of Wednesday night.
No one has been reported injured in the fire, which began Tuesday in an area where loggers were working, CNN affliliate KQDS reported.
On its website, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources said it was the largest fire in that part of the state in the past 33 years.
Drivers in the area were urged to drive with caution Wednesday night because firefighters were scheduled to continue their efforts through the overnight hours.
Original story published at 8:44 a.m., Wednesday, May 15- (CNN) — A wildfire tearing through northwestern Wisconsin has torched more than 6,800 acres and destroyed at least 50 structures, state officials said.
The fire, in Douglas County, is about six miles long and about a mile wide at its widest point, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources said. The blaze downed power lines and prompted the evacuation of dozens of residents.
As of early Wednesday morning, the fire was about 80% contained. But officials worry that a shift in winds later in the day could pose more trouble for firefighters.
More than a dozen fire crews, including firefighters from neighboring Minnesota, were battling the inferno. Officials have asked for additional equipment from Ontario, Canada, and the Army National Guard.
No major injuries have been reported, and the cause of the fire has not been determined.
