Updates on Crow Wing County's Flanders Fire
Wildland firefighters are working on containment and mopping up hot spots for a wildfire that began Saturday afternoon, May 16, 2026, southeast of Crosslake.
The Flanders Fire was reported just before 1 p.m. Saturday, May 16, near Flanders Lake, about 5 miles southeast of Crosslake. The fire quickly grew amid red flag warning conditions. As of Sunday afternoon, it's estimated to be nearly 2,100 acres.
Our latest news story
We've published a story with today's updates on the Flanders Fire, including County Highway 11 reopening, the status of the community center and the Crow Wing County Board declaring a local emergency.
Read it here:
Fire crews achieve 20% containment, fire size revised
According to the Minnesota Incident Command System:
"Fire crews had a successful day working on the Flanders Fire on Sunday. Weather conditions moderated today compared to Saturday with higher relative humidity, cooler temperatures, and lighter winds.
"Updated mapping has estimated the fire size at 1,666 acres. Due to the hard work of firefighters and equipment along the fire lines we are reporting 20% containment this evening.
"A small night shift of engines and firefighters will remain on the fire overnight and crews will reengage on the fire lines tomorrow morning to continue fire suppression work."
We're winding down live updates but will continue coverage in days to come
Firefighters are continuing to work at the site of the Flanders Fire on Sunday, creating fire breaks and putting out hot spots.
With the immediate threat past, we're winding down our live updates here, barring any major changes. We'll continue to monitor the situation and cover the impacts in the coming days and weeks.
There's plenty of useful information below that remains relevant, like an explainer on what 0% containment means, how wildland firefighters do their work, how the situation is being handled today and in the near future and some very cute puppy pictures.
Thanks for sticking with us this weekend. We hope you felt informed and prepared by our KAXE News coverage. If you're new here, consider subscribing (for free!) to our newsletter The Buzz and our daily news podcast Up North Report. Find more local news for Northern Minnesota at kaxe.org/local-news.
Reach us at news@kaxe.org with any information regarding the fires — or any other local news in Northern Minnesota.
Here are some resources to keep following for more information.
Fire and Evacuation Information
- National Interagency Fire Center's map
- Minnesota Incident Command System on Facebook and on Inciweb
- Crow Wing County Wildfire Updates
- Crow Wing County Sheriff's Office on Facebook
- City of Crosslake website
Donations
- For households: Bridges of Hope
- For firefighters/responders: Lakes Area Heroes
Bridges of Hope serving as donation host for impacted households
Brainerd-based nonprofit organization Bridges of Hope announced it has been in communication with Crow Wing County Emergency Preparedness regarding the wildfire impacting households in our area.
To help coordinate community response efforts, Bridges of Hope was asked to serve as the donation host and coordinating partner for support directed to households impacted by the wildfire.
Financial contributions can be made at bridgesofhopemn.org/donate.
'We're actively preparing our response and coordinating next steps with community partners. We will continue sharing updates as needs and response plans develop," the organization stated in a social media post.
"Thank you to everyone showing care and support for our community during this time."
Gov. Walz declares peacetime emergency, activates National Guard
Gov. Tim Walz announced at 10:40 a.m. Sunday he had declared a peacetime emergency in Minnesota.
"As wildfires continue up north, I’ve declared a peacetime emergency and mobilized the National Guard to ensure Minnesotans have the resources needed to protect lives and support evacuation," Walz posted on social media. "Grateful to the Guard and all our first responders answering the call."
Social media video from sheriff shows burned forests left in wake
Crow Wing County Sheriff Eric Klang posted a video update Sunday morning, showing burned forests just north of Fools Lake in the wake of the Flanders Fire near Crosslake.
Klang continued to report no injuries among responders and no destroyed primary residences. He said there is some minor damage to homes, like melted siding, and some secondary structures like sheds and outbuildings have burned.
He said about 30 people are displaced from their homes at this time.
Here's how crews are fighting the Flanders Fire
With less active fire conditions expected Sunday, crews will be able to do more on-the-ground firefighting.
The fight was mostly limited to aircraft, slowing the spread and cooling the edges on Saturday amid the extreme conditions.
Those aircraft are still available Sunday if needed, according to Tim Engrav, public information officer for the fire's incident management team.
Firefighters were able to start engaging Sunday evening, as humidity climbed and winds died down.
Crews started working on bulldozer containment lines on the north and south sides of the fire and made good progress, Engrav said. They also continued to protect structures overnight.
Today, firefighters will keep working to secure the lines they built, ensuring the fire is not likely to move beyond them. They'll start "mopping up," which means cooling down hot spots in the fire.
Hot spots are particularly active areas that are likely to reignite or spread, such as burning stumps or smoldering dead trees.
Just like with a campfire, a wildfire may no longer be burning, but there are still hot embers that will continue to hold heat until they’re stirred up and doused with cool water.
Why weren't there any updates about the fire last night?
Generally speaking, no news about the fire is good news.
When a fire is very active or threatening property, officials will share updates every hour or couple of hours, said Tim Engrav, public information officer for the fire's incident management team.
"Going several hours without any update means that the firefight continues and conditions haven't changed dramatically," he explained.
One obvious indicator of change — either good or bad — is updates to evacuation zones, Engrav said. If evacuations are lifted, it means conditions are safe enough to allow people to return home. If the evacuation area is expanding, it means the fire is growing, and there is immediate danger.
The incident command team will share official updates on the Minnesota Incident Command System's Facebook page and InciWeb. Engrav said there will be an update this morning and this evening. More information will be shared if necessary for public safety.
Before any updates are posted, Engrav explained he needs to confirm information with the rest of the incident management team to make sure he's accurately representing what he's hearing from the team.
"So that we provide the factual and confirmed information about what's been happening on the fire and where the fire is at," he said.
How to support the firefighting efforts
More than $4,000 has been raised thus far by nonprofit organization Lakes Area Heroes to help support the firefighters and other authorities responding to the Flanders Fire in northern Crow Wing County.
There's been an outpouring of people wanting to support those impacted by the fire. Crosslake Mayor Jackson Purfeerst posted on social media that Lakes Area Heroes is the most effective way at this time.
"At this time, Lakes Area Heroes is the best way to contribute," he posted. "While we truly appreciate personal donations, we need to keep the process streamlined and organized."
Founder Isaiah Moengen posted an update from the staging area this morning, reporting firefighters had pancakes, eggs, sausages, doughnuts and coffee thanks to donations from area businesses and individuals.
Lakes Area Heroes is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization with the stated mission of supporting local law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services personnel and their families in times of need. The group serves the areas of Aitkin, Cass, Crow Wing and Morrison counties.
Flanders Fire estimated at 1200 acres
Good morning.
The Flanders Fire is now estimated at roughly 1,200 acres, or about the size of Lake Hubert, according to Tim Engrav, the public information officer for the incident management team that took over fire operations Sunday morning.
"I know people like to hear, 'What's the size? What's the size?' And that's really hard to determine here in these early days when the fire is growing," Engrav said.
The fire is still considered 0% contained, but crews worked overnight to establish bulldozer lines on the north and south sides of the fire.
"That will make good progress toward some level of containment," Engrav said. "I can't predict, but maybe we'll have an update on that by this evening, tomorrow morning for sure."
There are some weather concerns today. Winds have shifted to the east and could still be gusty, though sustained winds won't be as strong.
"We're still on guard with those conditions and hoping that the rain does move in this evening," he said.
Those evacuated are not allowed back into the area. Engrav said the Crow Wing County Sheriff's Office and incident command team will talk sometime today and reevaluate conditions.
"Want to make sure everything is safe before letting people back in, for their safety as well as the firefighters," he said.
Engrav shared more on when to expect updates and how crews have been fighting the fire. We'll have those details for you shortly.
What's next? Officials expected to provide updates Sunday morning
The Minnesota Incident Command System will begin leading the response to the Flanders Fire on Sunday morning.
KAXE will provide status updates on the fire and response as they become available.
Crosslake Community Center transitions to overnight shelter
The Crosslake Community Center transitioned from a temporary evacuation point to an overnight shelter for those who left their homes behind due to the Flanders Fire on Saturday night.
The American Red Cross and Crow Wing County Community Services personnel served dinner along with snacks and water to about a dozen people. There are also charging stations available for people's devices. At least seven pooches were also on the premises, and county officials said they were working to accommodate pets.
Around 8 p.m., Tammy and Tim Southmayd, Tammy's sister Nancy Anderson and their neighbor Susan Hobbs finished their dinner of Rafferty's Pizza inside the community center. The Southmayds own two properties in the evacuation zone, one of which is their primary residence they share with Anderson on County Road 109.
The other is a cabin on Loon Lake Road, and after calling a neighbor, they learned that area was already evacuated. They stayed as long as they could before deciding to leave around 6 p.m. with their three dogs: Frankie, Moose and Zoe.
"Every one of us grabbed our vehicle," Tim Southmayd said. "We had packed up our overnight bag and grabbed our meds and all that, because we didn't know what we were doing."
Hobbs, who lives across the street, also packed up her three smaller pups, Tyson, Keats and Hobbs and brought them to the community center. She was driving home from the Crosslake Train Club that afternoon when she noticed the smoke.
"I said, 'Look at that big cloud,' because I had a passenger with me, and the rest of the sky was all blue," Hobbs said. "And I went, "that's not a cloud."
Jacklin Steege with Crow Wing County Public Health was overseeing the evacuation point. Earlier in the evening, she moved between the community center and the Crosslake Fire Department on Saturday night, as the Minnesota Incident Command System and other state fire officials combined forces with local authorities.
Steege said some people received an evacuation alert on their cellphones who were outside of the immediate zone and showed up at the center, too.
Sheriff Eric Klang later confirmed there was some "bleed over" in the polygon they used on the map to send alerts to residents, although he was unsure how many people it affected. Otherwise, deputies were going door to door to alert people it was time to go.
"It's so early right now and things are so fluid, so people are wanting more information than we have, but as soon as we get the evening briefing done, we'll share it with them," Steege said.
Two hours later, Klang was able to tell evacuees they knew of no homes that sustained damage in the fire, though some outbuildings likely succumbed.
While overseeing an evacuation point was unexpected for Steege, Saturday's fire danger meant she was already on the job. During the day, she reported in to her other role as a wildland firefighter with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. She and others were staged in Nimrod, ready to respond.
"The Nimrod dozer got pulled over there [to the Flanders Fire]," Steege said. "And so we were staging at basically the county line, and waiting to get a call for reinforcements. And that's when I was like, 'We got to go back.'"
Sheriff: No known injuries, damage to homes
There were no known injuries and no primary residences damaged as a result of the Flanders Fire as of late Saturday night, according to Crow Wing County Sheriff Eric Klang.
Klang said he believed some outbuildings might have burned, however. The area is relatively unpopulated, consisting of significant stretches of tax-forfeited and state land.
The sheriff visited the Crosslake Community Center late Saturday and updated a group of about 25 people located at the evacuation point set up by county community services and the American Red Cross Disaster Relief.
A red flag warning issued by the National Weather Service expired at 9 p.m., and higher humidity combined with lighter winds Sunday were expected to bring more favorable firefighting conditions.
Minnesota Incident Command System team posts up at Crosslake FD
A Type 3 Incident Command team will take over the Flanders Fire response on Sunday morning, May 17.
Tim Engrav is the public information officer for the team that will assume command of the fire. He said it's a dynamic situation amid the ongoing evacuations. State and local fire officials have convened at the Crosslake Fire Department to oversee response.
Incident command teams are an interagency effort coordinated by the Minnesota Incident Command System. They are called on to handle logistically complex incidents, most often large wildfires. Type 1 is for the largest, most complex incidents.
The Flanders Fire team is Team B, as another Type 3 team is managing the Stewart Trail Fire on the North Shore.
Engrav encouraged people to stick to official sources for information, including MNICS' Facebook page, InciWeb and the Crow Wing County Sheriff's Office.
What does 0% contained mean?
Seeing that a fire is 0% contained, especially for an extended period of time, can be confusing. What are those firefighters doing?
It usually takes several days for containment to start to increase around larger fires because of factors like weather and terrain.
Containment has nothing to do with how much of the wildfire is burning or out; rather, the percentage indicates how much of the fire perimeter is wrapped by a control line, often a “blackline," of bare soil.
Lines are created by heavy equipment, like bulldozers, and large crews of firefighters working with shovels and axes.
The line is usually 100-200 feet from the fire perimeter, so that if embers blow, the line will still hold. But that can vary significantly based on conditions.
Last year, during the St. Louis County wildfires, I learned all about how wildland firefighters do their work from Leanne Langeberg, the public information officer for the Minnesota Incident Command System, the state’s interagency emergency response group, and the Minnesota Interagency Fire Center in Grand Rapids.
You can read that story to learn more about all the firefighting jargon and how crews are responding to the Flanders Fire: kaxe.org/local-news/2025-05-16/attack-containment-mop-up-wildfire-firefighting.
Updated evacuation map shows full Ready, Set, Go zones
The city of Crosslake posted an evacuation map with a fuller picture of who should be prepared to evacuate.
The map is colored according to the Ready, Set, Go evacuation levels. Red (Go) is those who should be actively evacuating, yellow (Set) is those who should be ready to evacuate at a moment's notice, and green (Ready) is those who should start packing a go bag and be on heightened alert.
The National Interagency Fire Center has checklists for each level.
Harrowing video from inside the fire zone
Harrowing video footage captured by Mandy and Doug Mitchell of Breezy Point shows the Flanders Fire in its beginning stages, growing quickly along County Highway 11 on May 16, 2026.
Growth of the fire appears to have slowed, according to the most recent heat signature map from the National Interagency Fire Center.
How we're covering the Flanders Fire
Chelsey Perkins and I (Megan Buffington) are keeping a close watch for more information on the Flanders Fire.
We're both from the area, so this event hits close to home. Chelsey is reporting from the Brainerd lakes area, and I'm assisting from the Grand Rapids area.
The most recent heat signature map from the National Interagency Fire Center doesn't show any notable growth in the fire's perimeter, but there are several more readings from within the fire area.
We've put together this reporting in much the same way that you've been gathering information about the fire: watching for updates from official sources, like Crow Wing County and the sheriff's office.
We also get photos, videos and updates from our friends and family in the area (for example, the photo below from Mr. Perkins) to learn more about what they're seeing, and we're reaching out to people who had to evacuate to hear their story.
We have also talked with Sheriff Eric Klang and meteorologists from the National Weather Service to get additional updates and add context.
Our goal with all of our work is to serve our communities. So what information do you need right now? Let us know by commenting on our social media or emailing us.
Shelter open at Crosslake Community Center
A Red Cross shelter has opened at the Crosslake Community Center.
An emergency alert that was sent to evacuees directed people to the shelter for assistance.
More favorable firefighting conditions expected overnight
Climbing humidity, cooler temps and weaker winds tonight may aid efforts to fight the large wildfire.
The red flag warning that is currently in effect will expire at 9 p.m., as winds slowly die and shift north, said National Weather Service meteorologist Cory Rothstein.
Humidity values, which were around 20-25% Saturday afternoon and evening, are expected to rise to 65-70%.
"You're wanting to see a good recovery [of humidity values] overnight ... the higher the better," Rothstein said. "That really cuts down on the potential for the fire weather conditions to linger through the overnight hours and then pick back up the next day."
There is a chance of some light rain mid-to-late Sunday morning. There is a potential for severe thunderstorms Sunday night into Monday morning, and for another round of storms Monday night.
Rothstein said the Sunday night storms have the potential for strong winds up to 60 mph and large hail.
He estimated 1-1.5 inches of rainfall in the area between Sunday and Tuesday.
Map shows current evacuation area
A map shared by Crow Wing County Sheriff Eric Klang shows the current evacuation area for the fire.
The red part of the map indicates those who should be evacuating. The yellow and purple areas show who should prepare for a possible evacuation.
The Western Fire Chiefs Association has a checklist for preparing to evacuate, including a packing list and steps to take protect your home.
The packing list focuses on the seven P's: people, pets, paper, prescriptions, pictures, personal computer and plastic (credit cards).
Other recommended items are a first aid kit, portable radio, water and snacks, a flashlight and study shows.
Photos show orange sky full of smoke near Flanders Fire
Evacuees being notified by phone alert
Emergency officials are notifying residents who need to evacuate by cellphone alert.
Crow Wing County said in a social media post just after 5 p.m. that the Department of Natural Resources and the Crosslake, Crosby, Brainerd, Deerwood, Fifty Lakes, Cuyuna, Emily, Ironton and Pequot Lakes fire departments are responding.
Crow Wing Sheriff: No homes lost, no injuries in area's largest fire in years
Crow Wing County Sheriff Eric Klang does not know of any homes lost in the fire or any injuries, as of 5 p.m. Saturday.
The fire has been behaving erratically, Klang said in a brief phone interview, fueled by dry conditions and gusty winds up to 30 miles per hour.
Because of the fire's unpredictable path, crews have been evacuating a couple of miles around the fire. Officials are currently working to evacuate areas east of Horseshoe Lake Road and south of County Road 11, Klang said in a social media post.
No evacuation point has been set. Klang said officials are working to direct folks to safety. The rural area has multiple dead-end roads.
County Road 11 has been blocked off between county roads 3 and 6, a span of roughly 11 miles.
Klang said this is the biggest fire that he's ever dealt with in the area or in his career. He is concerned with how long it may take to get it under control, given the extreme fire conditions.
Staying safe during a wildfire
Ready.gov offers the following tips for how to stay safe during a wildfire:
- Pay attention to emergency alerts and notifications for information and instruction.
- Evacuate immediately if authorities tell you to do so.
- Check with local authorities for the latest information about public shelters or check open locations on the FEMA app. You can also download the free Red Cross Emergency app for a list of open Red Cross shelters in your area.
- Consider making plans with friends or family to shelter with them where you may be safer and more comfortable.
- If trapped, call 9-1-1 and give your location, but be aware that emergency response could be delayed or impossible. Turn on lights to help rescuers find you.
- Use an N95 mask to protect yourself from smoke inhalation or limit your exposure to smoke by doing the following:
- Choose a room to close off from outside air and set up a portable air cleaner or filter to keep the air in this room clean even when it’s smoky in the rest of the building and outdoors.
- Use high efficiency filters in your central air conditioning system to capture fine particles from smoke. If your system has fresh air intake, set the system to “recirculate” mode and close the outdoor intake damper.
- If you are not ordered to evacuate but smoky conditions exist, stay inside in a safe location or go to a community building where smoke levels are lower.
Localized evacuations are taking place
Localized evacuations have taken place, according to Watch Duty, a nonprofit app that provides alerts about wildfires.
Citing radio traffic, Watch Duty said localized evacuations were continuing to the east of the fire.
The first evacuations reportedly occurred on Adney Lake Road around 2:30 p.m.
KAXE's Chelsey Perkins observed multiple plumes of black smoke, which typically indicates manmade materials are on fire.
DNR planes scoop water from Cross Lake
Over 30 emergency vehicles are presently responding to the fire, according to the 911-connected app PulsePoint.
A vegetation fire was first logged on the app at 12:34 p.m. Saturday.
Crews are currently responding to three other fires in the area, according to PulsePoint, and have responded to an additional nine so far today.
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources planes were scooping water on Cross Lake around 3:30 p.m., as seen in the video below from KAXE's Chelsey Perkins.
Multiple aircraft fighting fire
The flight paths of aircraft battling the fire give an idea of the wildfire's scope and direction.
Planes from the Brainerd and Bemidji airports have been observed circling the area, according to flightradar24.com.
A Canadair CL-415, known as a "SuperScooper" appears to have been redirected from the Stewart Trail Fire that crews are battling on the North Shore north of Two Harbors.
Do not travel County Road 11, sheriff's office says
The Crow Wing County Sheriff's Office is asking the public not to travel on County Road 11 as multiple agencies work to contain a large wildfire.
"Emergency vehicles, fire apparatus, and crews need clear access to safely respond and protect nearby property," a social media post from the sheriff's office stated.
Stay out of the area, use alternate routes and follow directions from emergency personnel.
Flanders Fire explodes to 600 acres, spreading east toward Mission
KAXE is working to gather information about the Flanders Fire, which began Saturday afternoon southeast of Crosslake.
The fire is actively growing amid extreme fire conditions. A red flag warning is in effect. Officials ask that people avoid the area.
Check back here for the latest updates.
Have photos, videos or been impacted by the fire? Send us your reports at news@kaxe.org.