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Live updates: Crow Wing County fire explodes to 600 acres
Crews are battling a wildland fire that began Saturday afternoon, May 16, 2026, south 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 has grown to an estimated 600 acres as of 3:15 p.m.
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.