Wildfire

Aircraft play an essential role in fighting wildfires. Seaplanes from the Ely seaplane base drop water, fire retardant and deliver firefighters — and canoes — to the blazes.

The delayed Forest Service grants would have supported prescribed burns and other fuel-reduction efforts on thousands of acres near the Echo Trail, which has borne the brunt of this year’s fires.

Campfires are now allowed in designated fire rings at Superior National Forest campgrounds, but not at backcountry sites, after updates to fire restrictions July 29, 2026.

Rain has helped limit fire activity, but heat remains trapped in leaf litter on the forest floor, and firefighters are still hard at work.

Firefighters are using sprinkler systems and fuel removal to protect structures like homes from wildfire. The systems work to dampen the areas around structures to prevent fire.

Periods of reduced air quality due to wildfire smoke are expected for the rest of the warm season as fires continue to burn in Northern Minnesota and Canada.

The DNR is authorized under the Minnesota Wildfire Act to recover costs of responding to the Camp House Fire, which burned about 12,070 acres and destroyed 187 structures.

As wildfires burn, they release a mixture of toxic compounds like heavy metals, mercury and carcinogenic chemicals that form from burning organic matter.

Firefighters are shifting their focus to the largest fire burning in the Boundary Waters as it progresses south. Rain the morning of July 17, 2026, provided temporary relief.

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency meteorologist Ryan Lueck explains how the PCA measures air quality and puts the record-breaking smoke event into context.