Minnesota firefighters at Level 4 for wildfire preparedness

BEMIDJI — Northland firefighters had another busy weekend as dry weather continues.

Near Lake Bemidji State Park, around 8 acres burned the evening of Saturday, May 9, as crews from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and local partners worked to contain the blaze.

The fire — which prompted an overnight closure of New Bass Road just east of the park — was contained by early Sunday morning.

Tree blowdown from past years' storms, combined with dry weather, can add more fuel to wildfires.

Every acre of Lake Bemidji State Park was impacted by the severe windstorm in June 2025, with some sections of the forest completely flattened. Most trails are now open, but four remain closed as of May 4. 

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MN DNR

Leanne Langeberg is the public information officer for the Minnesota Incident Command System in Grand Rapids, which is an interagency group of state and federal partners that cooperate to manage wildfire and all risk incidents.

The state is currently at Level 4 for wildfire response preparedness, nearing the top of the scale during Minnesota’s peak fire season. Langeberg described the preparedness ranking as largely a staffing tool.

“Five being that most extreme level, where resources are running short locally and we need to start reaching out to a broader network, whether that would be our regional network or even nationally,” Langeberg said.

April and May are typically the busiest months for Minnesota wildfires, with April usually seeing more acreage burned in grass fires. Langeberg said May can become more hazardous for the forests during the “spring dip.”

“Those trees are starting to produce more energy ahead of that budding process,” Langeberg explained. “With that additional energy that they have stored up, they become more prone to wildfires, less able to ward off a wildfire.”

Throughout the state, there have been nearly 600 reported wildfires burning 5,400 acres since the beginning of the year, which is slightly below the 10-year average. The 10-year average sees about 572 fires by the end of April burning 7,200 acres.

The DNR’s Firewise program is designed for homeowners living in wooded areas, called the wildland-urban interface. Clearing wooden debris away from structures can help harden residences and other buildings from wildfires. Check out the website for more tips.