Near Two Harbors, 34 structures burned and Highway 61 closed; in Crow Wing County, a 1,600-acre fire sparked evacuations

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Crews are ramping down efforts to combat the Flanders wildfire that erupted Saturday in northern Crow Wing County and burned almost 1,700 acres.

The Minnesota Incident Command team that has been managing fire response will transfer firefighting duties back to local authorities on Thursday. Firefighters continue working to put out remaining hot spots. 

As of Wednesday, authorities said the fire was 95 percent contained.

Crow Wing County workers are visiting homeowners inside the evacuation zone to assess damage, said Clayton Barg, emergency management director.

“We'll be going to residents door to door, checking on residents and identifying needs for those residents affected by the fire,” Barg told the Crow Wing County board on Wednesday.

The county board extended its local emergency for the Flanders fire and is working to assess the cost of damages.

Commissioners also authorized a timber auction to try to salvage some of the heavily burned trees on county-owned property. Had the trees reached maturity, they would have been worth about $4.6 million in timber sales. But now they are worth a fraction of that, officials said. 

The county plans to plant new red pine seedlings to replace those that burned, starting along the County Road 11 corridor.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is investigating the cause of the fire. The agency declined to comment on the investigation on Wednesday.

The DNR said it has pinpointed where the blaze started on the north shore of Flanders Lake in Mission Township. It also identified some people of interest.

Crow Wing County Sheriff Eric Klang said he believes the source was a campfire, started either Saturday or the night before. Those responsible could face criminal charges. 

“We’re close,” Klang told the county board on Wednesday. 

Officials are reminding people to use caution and avoid outdoor burning over the Memorial Day weekend, as dry conditions persist.

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Kirsti Marohn

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The county board extended its local emergency for the Flanders fire and is working to assess the cost of damages. The investigation continues into who is responsible for causing the blaze.

Flanders wildfire battle winding down as Crow Wing County takes stock of damage

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