GILBERT — A fire in the rear of a dump truck quickly spread and grew into a 25-acre wildfire Friday afternoon, May 15, along Highway 135 in the city of Gilbert.
St. Louis County Sheriff Gordon Ramsay said the fire was one of at least a half-dozen blazes being monitored in the county by public safety officials as high winds, low humidity and drought conditions combined to create extreme fire danger. The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning across a majority of the state, including all of Northern Minnesota.
The Minnesota Incident Command System reported firefighters with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Forest Service, local fire departments and multiple aircraft responded to the Gilbert fire. The public was asked to avoid the area for their safety and the safety of fire personnel.
The fire was first reported at 12:45 p.m., and when responders arrived, they found fast-moving flames heading toward the city, according to a Gilbert Police Department news release.
As of 3 p.m., crews were able to knock down the flames within the area of the city, but the fire was still burning, moving toward unpopulated areas to the north.
"At this time, we are in fire mop-up operations and there appears to be no danger to the community," Chief Ty Techar stated in the release. "The southside of the fire is under control, which is where the city of Gilbert lies.
"Several fire departments are engaged in structure protection as a precaution at this time."
Shortly before 4 p.m., Ramsay reported on social media another wildland fire had begun to burn outside of Babbitt, where a couple of homes were evacuated. No further evacuations were necessary, and the city of Babbitt was not at risk at that time, he said.
He also reported a large fire on the North Shore in Lake County, just north of Two Harbors. He said St. Louis County offered assistance in fighting that blaze. According to WTIP, the fire has destroyed multiple structures and led to the closure of Highway 61. As of 4 p.m., the Steward Trail fire was estimated to be up to 50 acres and was 0% contained.
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