MN wildfires: Crews continue to battle Brimson Complex, Munger Shaw fires
Minnesota wildfires still burning after a week
FOX 9's Cody Matz shares the latest on the wildfires in northern Minnesota that have been burning for more than a week.
BRIMSON, Minn. (FOX 9) - Fire crews continue to make progress against three wildfires burning north of Duluth, but a Red Flag warning has been issued in northeastern Minnesota due to extreme fire risk conditions on Tuesday.
Wildfires overview
Big picture view:
As of Tuesday morning, the Munger Shaw fire is at 1,259 acres and is nearly 95% contained. The Camp House fire is 59% contained, while the Jenkins Creek fire is 6% contained.
Roads around the larger fires are slowly reopening, and all evacuation zones for the Munger Shaw fire have been lifted as of Monday night.
Unfortunately, northern Minnesota is missing out on the soaking rain that much of the state is getting. The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a Red Flag warning for seven counties in northeastern Minnesota on Tuesday, including St. Louis County where the wildfires are burning. The NWS says there's an increased fire danger risk due to the relatively low humidity and strong winds.
A wind advisory remains in place until 1 a.m. on Wednesday for central St. Louis County and northern Cook and Lake counties due to gusty conditions. The NWS issued a high wind warning from noon to 6 p.m. on Tuesday south St. Louis County and Carlton County.
Camp House fire
What we know:
The Camp House wildfire started around 1 p.m. on May 11 in Ault Township, about two miles northeast of Brimson, Minnesota.
In an update on May 20, authorities say the Camp House fire is just over 12,000 acres and is 59% contained. The fire has not grown in the past several days.
Firefighters are continuing to focus on maintaining containment lines and catching any flare-ups with the strong and gusty winds forecast for Tuesday, according to the Eastern Area Incident Management Team.
Jenkins Creek fire
What we know:
The Jenkins Creek Fire started on May 12 near Hoyt Lakes, just north of the Camp House wildfire. The fire was detected east of County Road 110 and north of County Road 16 near Jenkins Creek.
In a May 20 update, officials say the Jenkins Creek wildfire is at nearly 16,700 acres and is still 6% contained. Firefighters are prioritizing the protection of the Skibo and Hoyt Lakes communities if the fire advances in that direction.
Firefighters made "great progress" over the weekend with the cooler and wetter conditions. Crews are continuing to work along the perimeter of the fire and additional resources will be assigned to the western side in case flare-ups are triggered by the windy conditions.
Munger Shaw fire
What we know:
The Munger Shaw Fire developed on the afternoon of May 12 in Cotton Township, about 25 miles southwest of the Camp House fire.
In a May 19 update, the Munger Shaw fire is around 1,200 acres and 95% containment, up from the 50% containment on Saturday. Officials say they will not provide further updates on this fire unless significant activity occurs.
All evacuation zones for the Munger Shaw fire have been lifted as of Monday night. The Minnesota Incident Command System (MICS) said around three to five people will be issued for the fire, and the Minnesota DNR will continue to monitor and patrol the region.
"While the fire is largely contained, smoldering hotspots within the fire's interior may continue to smolder and produce smoke until the fire area receives sufficient precipitation," said the MICS.
Red Flag Warning
Red Flag warning:
The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for several counties in northeastern Minnesota due to extreme fire risk conditions. The affected counties include Beltrami, Cook, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake, Lake of the Woods, and St. Louis.
The relatively low humidity and strong winds mean fires that do start can spread quickly and grow out of control. There is currently no opening burning allowed in northeastern Minnesota.
"When fire risk is this high, it’s important to be careful with anything that could spark a wildfire," said Karen Harrison, DNR wildfire prevention specialist.
The warning is in place from noon until 9 p.m. on Tuesday.
High wind warning:
The NWS issued a high wind warning due to winds of 20 to 25 mph and potential gusts of up to 55 mph. The warning is in place from noon to 6 p.m. on Tuesday for Carlton and south St. Louis counties.
Meanwhile, a wind advisory remains in effect until 1 a.m. on Wednesday for central St. Louis and northern Cook and Lake counties.
The Source: This story uses updated information from the Eastern Area Incident Management Team, and past FOX 9 reporting.