REGIONAL- What began as a small wildfire in Ault Township north of Brimson exploded into a major disaster this week, becoming the largest fire in Minnesota so far this year and the central focus of a growing emergency response now encompassing air and ground crews from across the U.S. and Canada.
By Wednesday morning, the Camp House and Jenkins Creek fires had torched more than 35,000 acres combined, destroyed over 140 structures, and forced dozens of evacuations.
“This is going to be one of the most significant fires in the history of St. Louis County,” Sheriff Gordon Ramsay said Tuesday. “The damage near Brimson reminded me a lot of the video I saw from the California fires not too long ago, where there’s nothing left but chimneys and cinder blocks and metal.”
The Camp House Fire was first reported Sunday, May 11, around 1:15 p.m. just north of Brimson near the Lake County line. Fueled by dry conditions, dead timber, and high winds, the fire quickly mushroomed from 1,200 acres Monday afternoon to nearly 15,000 acres by Tuesday night, according to the Watch Duty fire app, which has been tracking the fire.
Authorities reported widespread destruction in the area surrounding County Hwy. 44. As of Tuesday evening, the fire was still zero percent contained.
The second blaze, known as the Jenkins Creek Fire, was first reported around 11 a.m. Monday about 14 miles southeast of Hoyt Lakes, near the intersection of County Roads 110 and 16. That fire exploded on Tuesday, fueled by hot temperatures and high winds, and was estimated at just 20,500 acres as of Wednesday morning, according to Watch Duty. The small community of Skibo in Bassett Township was evacuated ahead of the blaze and residents as far north as Embarrass and Waasa were advised to be prepared for a possible evacuation. Hoyt Lakes and Babbitt are also potentially in the path of the fire, depending on wind direction.
A third fire, known as the Munger Shaw Fire, started Monday afternoon northeast of Canyon. It had burned roughly 1,600 acres as of Tuesday and was slowly moving north. Though significant, it remained a secondary concern to the more volatile Camp House and Jenkins Creek fires.
Fire behavior
Officials described the conditions as among the most dangerous they’ve seen in years.
“Any one of these fires would tax our system, but the fact we have three is very, very challenging,” Ramsay said.
Dry vegetation, low humidity, and high winds contributed to what state officials described as “extreme” fire behavior, including rapid spread, crowning in conifer stands, and wind-driven spot fires. Huge columns of smoke, most likely from the Jenkins Creek Fire, were clearly visible Tuesday afternoon across much of northern St. Louis County.
Ryan Williams, the Minnesota Incident Command System (MNICS) commander trainee for the Camp House Fire, said that the fires were being fueled by large stands of dead spruce and balsam fir killed by the recent spruce budworm infestation – providing ideal tinder in the hot, dry, windy conditions. He said spot fires were especially problematic, popping up unpredictably and complicating containment efforts.
“It’s turned into a bit of a whack-a-mole situation,” Williams said. “Crews are doing their best to stay ahead of it, but this terrain and fuel load make that extremely difficult.”
Williams said around 80 personnel were actively fighting the Camp House Fire, with more on the way.
On Wednesday morning, MNICS handed over management of the two largest fires to an Eastern Area Complex Incident Management Team, and Camp House Fire and Jenkins Creek fire were operationally redefined as the Brimson Complex Fire.
Gov. Tim Walz authorized the deployment of the Minnesota National Guard on Monday and spoke during a press conference Tuesday to urge residents to cooperate with evacuation orders.
“I know these are difficult decisions to make,” Walz said. “It’s not only for your own safety, it’s for the firefighters’ safety, because protecting these buildings and lives puts them at risk.”
The U.S. Forest Service deployed additional helicopters, planes, and personnel, as the blaze is currently the largest wildfire burning in the U.S. Crews from as far away as Michigan, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Colorado, and Ontario arrived to support local and state responders.
Closures and evacuations
With the fires still active and uncontained, emergency closures were put into effect. On Tuesday, the Superior National Forest announced the closure of a large section of the Laurentian Ranger District, affecting campsites, trails, roads, lakes, and recreation areas. The order will remain in place until conditions improve.
Forest Supervisor Tom Hall issued the closure to ensure public safety.
“These emergency restrictions are necessary due to wildland fires in the vicinity of the affected lands, roads, waters, trails, and all recreation sites,” the Forest Service said in a press release.
Highways 44, 16, and portions of Forest Hwy. 11 were closed due to fire activity. Law enforcement emphasized that roadblocks were not optional.
“We’ve had a number of people getting in the way of firefighting just to look at the fire,” Ramsay said. “If you go around one of those signs, be prepared to get a ticket. These crews need space to work safely.”
Lake County officials issued pre-evacuation notices Tuesday for residents near Kane Lake, Marble Lake, and Thomas Lake, urging them to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice.
For the Munger Shaw fire, as of Tuesday evening, several roads were closed and evacuations had begun in the Pioneer Lake and Morley Beach Road areas.
North Country impacts
Wildfire smoke also triggered hazardous air quality levels across parts of the North Country. In Ely, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s air quality index reached a peak of 282 on Monday afternoon, the upper tier of the “hazardous” category and more than ten times worse than readings from late Monday morning. Although conditions briefly improved overnight, levels shot back up Tuesday into the “unhealthy” range at 160 before trending downward again. MPCA issued an air quality alert for Wednesday indicating the smoke was of concern to sensitive groups.
The primary health concern is fine particulate matter in the smoke – microscopic particles that can enter the lungs and bloodstream, potentially triggering respiratory symptoms, chest pain, or worsening conditions like asthma or heart disease. Officials advised children, older adults, and those with underlying health conditions to limit outdoor activity.
In response to Wednesday’s MPCA air quality alert, Northeast Range School in Babbitt announced it would close for the day and canceled all after-school activities.
A worsening trend
The wildfires are part of a concerning statewide trend. As of mid-May, Minnesota had already logged 970 wildfires this year, nearly four times the number reported at this point in 2022. Those fires have burned over 37,000 acres to date.
“This is usually our busiest time of year for fires, in April and May,” said Patty Thielen, forestry director at the Department of Natural Resources. “So, it’s not an unusual season, but it’s been a really tough year. In my nearly 30 years with the DNR, the conditions we’ve seen in the last few days are unprecedented.”
Though no injuries had been reported as of Tuesday night, officials said they were still trying to locate some residents who may not have evacuated and whose homes were lost.
“We’re hoping they left on their own,” Ramsay said. “But this is a new phase of the incident, where we’re working to determine where people are and if they’re safe.”
As of Wednesday morning, firefighters were pinning hopes on forecasted rain later in the week to slow the spread and allow crews to gain ground. Until then, the focus remained on protecting life and property in the path of the flames.
MPR News contributed to this report