An outbreak of wildfires across the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Northeastern Minnesota erupted in early July of this year. The quickly growing fires and ongoing dry conditions forced a closure of the entire BWCAW for a time, with evacuation zones in and around the Boundary Waters and near towns like Ely being put into effect. READ MORE: Northern Minnesota Businesses Reminding The World ‘We’re Still Open’ During WildfiresBetween the 7 largest fires and several smaller ones in this summer's BWCAW wildfire outbreak, a total of more than 69,000 acres have been consumed inside Minnesota. When you add together the whole 69,000+ acres of all of these fires, this outbreak is the second-largest fire event in Minnesota in the last 20 years. Here's a look at how they rank among the largest fires in the last 20 years.