Minnesota wildfire forces evacuation - UPI.com ELY, Minn., May 17 (UPI) -- Residents near Ely, Minn., were evacuated Thursday as high winds and dry terrain combined to spread a quickly moving wildfire, authorities said. The fire started about 1:45 p.m. when a vehicle ran over a downed power line, and spread to more than 100 acres within about 5 hours, the (Minneapolis) Star Tribune reported. Ely Mayor Roger Skraba declared an emergency and ordered evacuation in parts of the town. Carson Berglund of the Minnesota Interagency Fire Center said firefighters were "having major trouble with this fire" because woods and grasslands were dry from a lack of winter snow and warm conditions during the past few months -- and winds of 10-20 mph with stronger gusts blew through the area Thursday. "You put fire in front of that, you have a problem," Berglund said. The Duluth Tribune News reported fire engines, helicopters and two CL-215 water-bombing airplanes were being used in the battle against the fire, which the MIFC said was on National Forest Service land. No injuries had been reported as of late Thursday.