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In light of drought, Minneapolis and St. Paul set watering restrictions
They join a number of communities in Minnesota that have also implemented watering restrictions. In Minneapolis and St. Paul, residents are being asked to water their lawns on an even-odd schedule and to limit watering to mornings and evenings.
First smoke, then fire? BWCA braces for the worst
Residents in northern Minnesota woke up to thick smoke Tuesday morning that spread from wildfires burning across the border in Canada, and some people around the Boundary Waters Canoe Area are bracing for a severe fire season that will likely last all summer.
Air quality alert expanded across Minnesota over Canadian wildfire smoke
State pollution control officials have extended the alerts through Thursday morning, and increased the range from as far north as Roseau down to the Twin Cities region, as well as Rochester and Mankato.
Court sends PolyMet permit back to state environmental regulators
A state court on Monday sent a key air emissions permit for the planned PolyMet mine back to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, a setback in the company’s bid to open the state’s first copper-nickel mine.
Hot, dry conditions show no sign of letting up in Minnesota
Heat and drought conditions are forecast to continue this week in Minnesota, with temperatures climbing into the 90s across much of the state and little rain — putting additional stress on crops and expanding the threat of wildfires. 
Rangers clear BWCA closure zone as officials keep eye on Quetico wildfires
Rangers worked through the weekend to reach campers spread across a vast swath of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness that's now closed to visitors amid a growing threat from wildfires just across the Canadian border.
Huge Oregon blaze grows as wildfires burn across western U.S.
The destructive Bootleg Fire just north of the California border grew to more than 476 square miles, an area about the size of Los Angeles, as critically dangerous fire weather loomed in the coming days.