Flanders wildfire in Crow Wing County grows to 600 acres, evacuations underway

BREEZY POINT, Minn. (FOX 9) - Firefighters and aircraft are battling the Flanders wildfire east of Breezy Point in Crow Wing County on Saturday after the blaze grew to an estimated 600 acres.

Flanders wildfire in Crow Wing County

What we know:

The Flanders wildfire, located in Crow Wing County, is burning about 10 miles east of Breezy Point along Highway 6, according to the Minnesota Interagency Fire Center. Officials estimate the fire has grown to about 600 acres and remains 0% contained.

Footage shared with FOX 9 shows thick plumes of smoke rising above the trees and an aircraft dropping fire retardant near Upper Mission Lake in Merrifield, Minn.

Evacuations and road closures:

County Road 11 is closed from Cross Lake, Minnesota to State Highway 6. The Crow Wing County Sheriff's Office said in a 5:10 p.m. update that authorities are working to evacuate areas east of East Horsehoe Lake Road and south of County Road 11. 

Drivers are being asked to stay out of the area when possible, use alternate routes and follow directions from emergency responders. Officials also warned people not to stop to watch the fire, citing safety concerns and the need to keep roads clear for emergency crews.

MNICS said red flag warning conditions are contributing to the spread of the fire.

What we don't know:

Authorities have not said when the fire was first reported or whether any injuries have been reported. 

The sheriff’s office said updates will be released as more information becomes available.

Red flag warning in Minnesota

Local perspective:

Crow Wing County is among the 15 counties included in a red flag warning issued by the National Weather Service on Saturday. 

The other counties under the warning include Cass Aitkin, Carlton, St. Louis, Pine, Otter Tail, Wadena, Grant, Douglas, Todd, Morrison, Mille Lacs, Kanabec, and Benton counties. 

Red flag warnings are issued when conditions such as low humidity and strong winds could cause fires to spread quickly and get out of control, according to the DNR. 

What they're saying:

"When fire risk is this high, it’s important to be careful with anything could spark a wildfire," said Mike Warnke, DNR wildfire administrative supervisor. 

Officials are urging residents not to burn in counties where the warning is in effect and to check any recent burning to ensure fires are completely out. The DNR will not issue or activate open burning permits for large vegetative debris burning and said campfires are discouraged. 

Stewart Trail wildfire in northern Minnesota

Big picture view:

The Crow Wing County wildfire comes as crews are working to contain another wildfire in northern Minnesota, known as the Stewart Trail Fire. 

The fire is burning about three miles north of Two Harbors, has grown to 376 acres and remains 0% contained, according to fire officials. Local fire departments are focusing on structure protection along the Highway 61 corridor, where portions of the highway remain closed due to heavy smoke and firefighting activity. Evacuation notifications remain in place in parts of Lake County as crews continue working to slow the fire’s spread.

St. Louis County wildfires 

The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office says firefighters are responding to multiple fires across the county Saturday afternoon as dry, windy conditions increase wildfire danger in the region. 

Crews are battling a structure fire in Lakewood Township while working to prevent it from spreading into nearby woods. Firefighters are also responding to a wildfire in New Independence Township near Erickson Road and Highway 53, as well as additional wildfires in Fayal Township and the Maple Drive area in Biwabik Township, where air units are assisting crews on the ground. 

Authorities said residents will be notified if any fires begin threatening homes or communities and urged people not to burn outdoors Saturday.