Ely is a city known for its sense of humor and ability to poke fun of itself. After all, it once announced that it planned to bid on the Winter Olympics.

This time, the northern Minnesota town is serious. Officials worry that the forest fire in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) is scaring away visitors to the resort town of 3,500, located on the shore of Shagawa Lake and just down the road from Lake Vermilion.

The message from Ely on Thursday: Hello folks, we're still open. Come on over.

"We've gotten an awful lot of phone calls from people who think the whole Boundary Waters is on fire. It's only 10 percent under fire watch," said Linda Fryer, director of the Ely Chamber of Commerce. "Others think we're socked in with smoke. There is no smoke in Ely."

The fire is to the south and the east of the city, which is a gateway to the BWCA.

Fryer said all major routes into Ely are open, and that nearly all the portage entries to the BWCA are open. Outfitters are rerouting people who have permits for closed entry points.

"Everything is business as usual," the chamber said in a news release, noting that the peak fall color season "is right now."

DAVID PHELPS