Red flag warning issued in northeastern Minnesota as wildfires continue to burn

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.

(FOX 9) - The National Weather Service issued a Red Flag warning in northeastern Minnesota as crews continue to battle three wildfires in the region. 

Unfortunately, northeastern Minnesota is missing out on the soaking rain that much of the state is getting on Tuesday. The multi-day rain event could drop 1.5 to 3 inches of rain in the Twin Cities metro. The Duluth area will get under an inch of rain while areas to the northeast likely won't get any. 

Red Flag warning issued 

Local perspective:

The 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.

The warning is in place from noon until 9 p.m. on Tuesday. The affected counties include Beltrami, Cook, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake, Lake of the Woods and St. Louis.

"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. 

There is currently no opening burning allowed in northeastern Minnesota. 

Red Flag warning for May 20, 2025.  (FOX 9)

Wind advisory and high wind warning 

Dig deeper:

The National Weather Service issued a high wind warning from noon until 6 p.m. on Tuesday for Carlton and south St. Louis counties. The alert states easterly winds are sustained at 20 to 25 mph with gusts of up to 55 mph expected. 

A wind advisory remains in effect until 1 a.m. on Wednesday for northern Cook and Lake counties, in addition to central St. Louis county. Easterly winds will blow at 15 to 20 mph with gusts of up to 45 mph expected at times. 

Wildfires burn in northern Minnesota

Big picture view:

Crews have been battling wildfires in northern Minnesota for more than a week, including two major fires in St. Louis County, about 35 miles north of Duluth.

As of May 20, the Camp House is just over 12,000 acres and is 59% contained. The Jenkins Creek fire remains over 16,000 acres and is still 6% contained. The Munger Shaw fire is around 1,200 acres and 95% contained. 

Officials said these fires have destroyed more than 150 structures, including about 30 year-round homes.