Updated as of 8 a.m. Wednesday, May 14.
ST. LOUIS COUNTY — Three large wildfires are burning in rural St. Louis County, impacting thousands of acres and prompting evacuations, with more than 140 structures destroyed.
The entire state of Minnesota is in extreme fire danger. A red flag warning is in effect Tuesday for most of the state amid hot, dry and windy conditions. Fire weather is expected to continue through mid-week, with chances for rain beginning late Wednesday.
During a red flag warning, people should avoid activities that could spark a wildfire. Keep vehicles off dry grass, avoid activities and equipment with open flames or sparks, properly discard cigarettes and obey burn bans.
Camp House Incident Commander Trainee Ryan Williams said dead and down fuel and strong winds create difficulties for firefighters. They're optimistic for rain later this week.
“Ideally, we get some pretty good precipitation to bring some relief," he said at a news conference in Two Harbors midday Tuesday.
"I don’t know if it will put the fire out, but it will definitely give the first responders an opportunity to make really good progress on this fire.”
St. Louis County and Lake County have issued evacuation orders, and surrounding areas are in preparatory levels of evacuation.
In a Ready zone, begin preparing for potential evacuation. At Set, be ready to leave at a moment's notice. Go status means evacuate immediately. FEMA has a wildfire evacuation checklist.
The Minnesota Incident Command System, the state's interagency wildfire response team, said it appreciates support from the community but is not currently accepting food and drink donations. Donations may be accepted in the near future.
MNICS said folks can donate to the Wildland Fire Federation or the Red Cross in the meantime.
Camp House Fire
The Camp House Fire near Brimson has burned over 12,000 acres since it began Sunday and is 0% contained, according to the Minnesota Interagency Fire Center.
An update from MNICS around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday said the fire is north of Indian Lake, south of Town Line Road, east of Breda Lake and had just reached Murphy Lake.
St. Louis County Sheriff Gordon Ramsay said the fire is actively growing to the north, east and west in a Tuesday evening update.
The fire was reported around 1 p.m. Sunday near the intersection of Brimson and Camphouse roads, north of Brimson near the Lake County border, according to a news release from the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office. The fire has spread northeast into the Superior National Forest.
Lake County Emergency Management Director Matt Pollmann said the fire was very unpredictable on Monday. Similar conditions are expected today.
Evacuations began Sunday evening and continued to expand throughout the day Monday, with Lake County also beginning to evacuate residents Monday afternoon.
The Kane Lake, Marble Lake and Thomas Lake areas were given a pre-evacuation notice just before 2 p.m. Tuesday. If evacuations are needed, an official will notify residents, the Lake County Sheriff's Office said.
Lake County residents south of Greenwood Lake boat access on Highway 2, north of Langley River Road and west of Highway 2 between those north and south borders have also been ordered to evacuate.
St. Louis County has ordered evacuations for zones 1 through 13, 17 through 20, 31 and 33, and all residents north of Town Line Road to Mud Lake.
Other parts of St. Louis and Lake counties around the fire are at preliminary evacuation levels.
St. Louis County Public Health and the Red Cross opened a shelter at Fredenberg Community Center for those without a place to go.
An estimated 100 to 150 structures had been evacuated as of midday Tuesday, some cabins and some homes.
If those impacted by the evacuations in Lake County have unmet needs, Pollmann said to contact him at 773-844-6449.
Pollmann said evacuation maps will be more detailed tomorrow. Mapping resources were limited by staff availability.
The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office and Rescue Squad have been checking for damaged structures. Around 140 structures have been destroyed as of Tuesday evening.
St. Louis County has closed Highway 16 and County Highway 44, blocking southbound traffic, Highway 16 and Brimson-Toimi Road/6025 Road, blocking southbound, and the county highways 44 and 355 intersection, blocking northbound.
Highway 16 from the Highway 110 and 16 intersection to the intersection of Lake County highways 15 and 2 closed at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, sending traffic north.
Forest Highway 11 west of Highway 2 will close at 1 p.m., the Lake County Sheriff's Office said.
The Superior National Forest closed a portion of the Laurentian Ranger District, effective noon Tuesday. The closure prohibits visitor entry at campsites, recreation sites, trails, roads and lakes.
The Minnesota Incident Command System, the state's interagency wildfire response group, said firefighters are using full suppression tactics through air and ground resources and heavy equipment, while protecting threatened structures on the perimeter.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Firefighters were preparing for another active fire day. In-state and out-of-state resources will continue building fire lines and working toward containment.
Fire behavior has been extreme. It is burning in mixed forest with a large quantity of spruce budworm-infested stands, according to MNICS.
MNICS said ongoing daily fire updates will be released around 11 a.m.
A multi-state regional incident command team will assume command of the Jenkins Creek and Camp House fires Wednesday, treating them as a complex.
Gov. Tim Walz authorized the Minnesota National Guard to provide emergency assistance to help fight the Camp House Fire on Monday.
"Wildfires in northern Minnesota have forced families to evacuate and caused severe damage to and loss of property. My thoughts are with those Minnesotans who are being impacted by this dangerous and unpredictable fire," Walz said in a news release. "I’m grateful to the men and women of the Minnesota National Guard for stepping up to this mission, and to all the state and local agencies working tirelessly to contain the fire and protect Minnesotans."
Jenkins Creek Fire
The Jenkins Creek Fire has grown to an estimated 6,800 acres since it began midday Monday, less than 10 miles northwest of the Camp House Fire. It is 0% contained.
There's active growth of the fire to the north and west along Highway 16, Ramsay said.
The fire began off Town Line Road near Highway 110, west of Fairbanks.
The Skibo and Skibo Lookout areas evacuated Tuesday. All residents within a 3-mile radius of Basset Lake evacuated Monday.
St. Louis County Public Health and the Red Cross opened a shelter at Fredenberg Community Center for those without a place to go.
A couple structures have been destroyed and damaged, Ramsay said in a Tuesday evening update, but the fire is too active for crews to assess damage.
Highway 16 is closed from Town Line Road in the east to Camp 26 Road in the west.
The Superior National Forest closed a portion of the Laurentian Ranger District, effective noon Tuesday. The closure prohibits visitor entry at campsites, recreation sites, trails, roads and lakes.
An update shared midday Tuesday by MNICS said the fire moved quickly Monday, making a long, narrow run to the north over the St. Louis River and eventually reaching part of Skibo Road west of Stone Lake.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The MNICS observed extreme fire behavior with wind-driven runs, especially in areas of spruce budworm-affected forest.
Additional personnel are arriving Tuesday. Ground access could be limited due to swamps, rivers and a lack of forest roads.
Daily fire updates from MNICS will be released around 11 a.m.
A multi-state regional incident command team will assume command of the Jenkins Creek and Camp House fires Wednesday, treating them as a complex.
Munger Shaw Fire
The Munger Shaw Fire has burned an estimated 1,600 acres near Cotton and is 0% contained.
The fire was slowly moving north, as of a Tuesday evening update from the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office. Flare-ups were still happening, and the fire is still dangerous.
The fire began early Monday afternoon and quickly grew due to conditions.
Evacuations began Tuesday evening in the Pioneer Lake and Morley Beach Road areas. Some of those are being reviewed, Ramsay said.
The Cotton Community Center is an evacuation center.
The Munger Shaw Fire was burning on both sides of Munger Shaw Road, south of Three Lakes Road and quickly moving north, according to a Monday evening update from the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office.
The following roads are closed: Three Lakes Road at Winkle Lane, no east-bound traffic; Three Lakes Road at Rush Lake Grade, no west-bound traffic; Munger Shaw Road at Morley Beach Road, no south-bound traffic.
The Munger Shaw Fire is roughly 25 miles southwest of the Camp House and Jenkins Creek fires.
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Whether in search of supplies, groceries or even a hot meal, Bemidjians flocked to the location as the first day of operations began for the new center.
