Updated as of 5:20 p.m. Tuesday, May 13.
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.
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.
he 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 is working to close roads, trails, recreation sites and lakes near the Camp House and Jenkins Creek fires. Forest closures must go through certain levels of approval before they can officially be enacted.
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.
The fire began off Town Line Road near Highway 110, west of Fairbanks.
SNF said steady winds and dry conditions continue to contribute to fire growth.
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.
St. Louis County Sheriff Gordon Ramsay said in a social media update Tuesday morning that evacuations are expected for the Skibo area. MNICS said critical areas at risk include Skibo, the Skibo Mill and the Canadian National Railroad Line.
The Forest evacuated the Cadotte Lake Campground east of the fire shortly after the fire began because of the amount of time it takes to notify and move campers. The Forest said the fire had "rapidly grown to several hundred acres in size."
The Superior National Forest is working to close roads, trails, recreation sites and lakes near the Camp House and Jenkins Creek fires. Forest closures must go through certain levels of approval before they can officially be enacted.
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 1,400 acres near Cotton and is 0% contained. The fire began early Monday afternoon and quickly grew due to conditions.
Fire activity was increasing, and there were multiple spot fires late Tuesday afternoon, according to Watch Duty monitoring of radio traffic. Additional resources were requested around 2:30 p.m.
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.
Evacuations were lifted late Monday for residents in the eastern half of Cotton Township. Those could be reinstated, according to St. Louis County Sheriff Gordon Ramsay.
The Munger Shaw Fire is roughly 25 miles southwest of the Camp House and Jenkins Creek fires.
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