If your summer plans include canoeing through Minnesota's legendary Boundary Waters, you may need to rethink them. Instead of calm lakes and quiet forests, far northern Minnesota is battling dangerous wildfires fueled by weather conditions that our meteorologists call “about as bad as it gets.”

Gov. Tim Walz has declared a peacetime emergency and activated the Minnesota National Guard to help fight the growing fires, saying local resources are no longer enough to handle the threat.

The danger is also affecting one of the state's most popular outdoor destinations. The U.S. Forest Service announced that the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness will temporarily close beginning Tuesday, as firefighters work to contain the threat and protect visitors.

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The fires have been burning across parts of Lake, Crow Wing and St. Louis counties since mid-May.

Among the largest are the Steward Trail Fire near Two Harbors, and the Flanders Fire in Crow Wing County.

Officials warn that the weather is creating explosive fire conditions that could allow the blazes to spread quickly. Temperatures have surged into the 90s, while winds have been gusting up to 25 mph.

Nearly all of northern Minnesota is either in drought or classified as "abnormally dry," according to the most recent U.S. Drought Monitor, leaving forests primed to burn.

There is some good news on the horizon. Temperatures will ease a bit Tuesday before more meaningful relief arrives Wednesday. Forecasters are also tracking rounds of showers and thunderstorms from Thursday into the weekend, which could help firefighters gain ground on the flames, though they'll also be watching for lightning that could spark new fires.