Stewart Trail Fire: 34 structures lost, fire 30% contained

Stewart Trail Wildfire in northern MN: Chopper [RAW]

Crews continue battling the Stewart Trail wildfire in northern Minnesota on Saturday, as the blaze has grown to 376 acres with no containment. Chopper footage shows burned terrain and aircraft dropping water on hot spots.

LAKE COUNTY, Minn. (FOX 9) - The Stewart Trail Fire has destroyed 34 structures, including eight primary buildings and 26 outbuildings, as firefighters work to contain the flames.

This comes as the Minnesota National Guard was mobilized on Sunday in response to wildfires bring across the state. 

Stewart Trail Fire containment efforts continue

Stewart Trail Fire: Crews continue containment response

Firefighters are continuing to battle the Stewart Trail Fire in northern Minnesota. FOX 9's Leah Beno spoke with Minnesota Incident Command System Public Information Officer Sarah Shapiro for the latest details.

By the numbers:

The Minnesota Incident Command System (MNICS) said in a Sunday morning update that the Stewart Trail Fire is now 30% contained.

There are also a total of 77 personnel battling the fire by operating bulldozers, monitoring areas for flare-ups, and flying aircraft to limit the fire's spread.

State officials estimate the size of the fire to be about 355 acres, down from the estimate of 376 acres released on Saturday.

U.S. Highway 61 remains closed at County Highway 2 in Two Harbors and at County Highway 106 in Castle Danger, with a detour set up from Silver Bay to Two Harbors.

The MNICS adds that local firefighters are working to protect structures by removing hot spots within 50 feet of buildings and that they will increase this buffer by 100 feet as mop-up efforts continue. 

Evacuation efforts and flight restrictions

What they're saying:

State officials have a temporary flight restriction in place and are warning the public to not fly drones in the area.

Residents can find evacuation details here. 

What we don't know:

The cause of the fire is still being investigated. 

What's next:

Up to one inch of rain is expected to fall in the area late Sunday afternoon.

State officials add that shifting wind gusts with increasing speeds could impact firefighting efforts.