MN wildfires: Crews work to contain Brimson Complex fire; peacetime emergency declared
Minnesota wildfires: Crews work on containment
FOX 9's Cody Matz shares the latest on the wildfires burning in northern Minnesota, and how close crews are to containing them.
BRIMSON, Minn. (FOX 9) - Gov. Tim Walz declared a peacetime emergency as firefighters continue to battle three wildfires in northern Minnesota.
Minnesota wildfires: The latest
Wildfire status:
Fire crews are continuing to battle three large wildfires in northern Minnesota, including the Munger Shaw fire, Camp House fire and Jenkins Creek fire.
Fire crews are working to extinguish the flames, but the fires are still slowly expanding. Containment continues to gradually increase on all three fires as crews work to build fire lines and prevent any more spread.
The Munger Shaw fire is nearly entirely contained, though there are some smoldering hot spots within the burned area. The Jenkins Creek fire is now 13% contained, up from the 6% containment on Tuesday, while the Camp House fire is 73% contained.
According to the National Interagency Fire Center, the total cost to fight these fires surpasses $8 million, which doesn't include the cost of property damage.
New fires started:
The weather played a challenging role in the wildfires on Tuesday, with strong winds, low humidity and a lack of rain. The National Weather Service issued a variety of alerts for northeastern counties, including wind advisories, high wind warnings and red flag warnings.
Officials said there were a number of "new start" fires across northern Minnesota because of the weather. At least three additional fires started within the county on Tuesday. Two of those fires were started by downed trees on power lines, and crews quickly worked to contain and extinguish the flames, according to St. Louis County Sheriff Gordon Ramsay.
"Obviously, these winds are significant and may have an impact on some of the success that we’ve been having," the sheriff said.
Evacuation updates:
The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office says that many additional residents in the evacuation zones are being allowed back in, but are stressing that could change at any time. Highway 44 and some other local roads are also reopening as of 8 a.m. on Wednesday.
The sheriff’s office is asking residents and property owners to use caution when returning to the area since there is still smoke and smoldering embers in many spots. Trees also pose a threat since they are weakened by the fire and wind, and could potentially fall over. The sheriff said downed trees on power lines started at least two fires on Tuesday afternoon.
Walz declares peacetime emergency for MN wildfires
Dig deeper:
Gov. Walz declared a peacetime emergency on Tuesday, directing state agencies to provide any necessary assistance for the response and recovery efforts. This comes just one day after St. Louis County officials declared a state of local emergency and requested public disaster assistance.
"We will continue to deploy every possible resource to respond to the wildfires that are burning across Northern Minnesota," said Governor Walz. "I’m grateful for the tireless work and coordinated response from emergency management officials, first responders, wildland firefighters, and law enforcement to keep Minnesotans safe. We will continue working alongside these frontline responders as they protect life and property."
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 21, authorities say the Camp House fire is just over 12,000 acres and is 73% contained. Officials said overnight rain helped cool the fire.
"Firefighters' steady effort in battling the Camp House Fire over the past week paid off as all existing lines held despite strong winds from the east," said the Eastern Area Incident Management Team.
Crews are still working on some of the more challenging terrain to connect portions of the containment line. Other crews plan to go deeper into the interior to put out any smoldering areas.
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 21 update, officials say the Jenkins Creek wildfire is at more than 16,700 acres and is 13% contained.
The sheriff said on May 20 that some hot spots flared up in the northeast area of the wildfire and crews were working to extinguish them. Unmanned Aerial Systems were able to fly several times when there was a break from the wind, and detected heat areas which were attacked by ground crews.
The Eastern Area Incident Management Team said additional firefighters will be moved from the Camp House fire to assist with the Jenkins Creek fire.
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.
The Source: This story uses updated information from the Eastern Area Incident Management Team, and past FOX 9 reporting.