Wildfires prompt evacuations, highway closures in northeast Minnesota
Go Deeper.
Create an account or log in to save stories.
Like this?
Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.
Fire crews were working from the ground and the air late Friday to contain a wildfire that prompted evacuations and the closure of a stretch of Highway 61 along the North Shore, a few miles northeast of Two Harbors.
It was one of at least 18 wildfires in northeastern Minnesota on Friday, amid gusty winds and tinder-dry conditions.
The fire near Two Harbors — called the Stewart Trail Fire — was first detected Friday afternoon. It was estimated at 100 acres in size and was 0 percent contained as of Friday night, according to the Minnesota Interagency Fire Center.
“Multiple local, state and federal agencies are responding to the Stewart Trail Fire, along with numerous aircraft capable of providing water and fire retardant drops,” the center reported in an update just after 8 p.m. “Fire crews are expected to remain engaged with the fire overnight.”
Turn Up Your Support
MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all.
Lake County issued evacuation orders for homes and businesses along State Highway 61 and County Road 3 northeast of Two Harbors. Highway 61 remained closed between Two Harbors and Castle Danger as of Friday night — requiring a long detour for drivers heading to and from points farther up the North Shore.
The evacuation zone included landmark restaurant Betty’s Pies, which posted on its Facebook page Friday afternoon that it was “closed for the rest of the day due to a forest fire.”
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Forest Service were working with local fire departments to contain the fire. There was no immediate word on what caused the fire, and no official word on whether any buildings had been damaged.
Elsewhere in northeastern Minnesota, St. Louis County Sheriff Gordon Ramsay reported that crews responded to a total of 17 wildfires in the county on Friday — but all had been controlled and mop-up operations were underway as of Friday night.
Ramsay said five of those fires were caused by downed power lines — but some others were fires that got away from people who were burning cardboard or other material.
“Please remember how dry the current conditions are and we continue to advise against any outdoor burning,” the sheriff’s office reported Friday night.
At least one of the St. Louis County wildfires prompted evacuations on Friday afternoon — a couple of homes near Babbitt.
Another fire, on the Iron Range near Gilbert, burned an estimated 25 acres and prompted the closure of State Highway 135 between Gilbert and Virginia for part of Friday afternoon.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation reported that another fire Friday afternoon prompted the closure of Highway 33 north of Cloquet for a time. Find updates on highway closures on MnDOT’s 511 website.
The fires started on another day of warm, dry, windy conditions across Minnesota. West winds were gusting to more than 35 mph Friday afternoon at the Eveleth-Virginia Airport — with humidity of less than 20 percent.
Red flag warnings for dangerous wildfire conditions were in effect for most of Minnesota through Friday night, with the DNR warning earlier in the day of the potential for fires to “spread quickly and grow out of control.”
The DNR said this week that amid the elevated fire danger, additional wildland firefighting crews from Ontario and Manitoba were in Minnesota to assist local crews — part of an agreement called the Great Lakes Forest Fire Compact.
“Their presence reflects the value of long-standing partnerships and a shared commitment to helping one another during periods of increased wildfire potential,” the DNR said.
