Gov. Walz extends emergency declaration for northern Minnesota wildfires
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Gov. Tim Walz called an Executive Council meeting Wednesday to extend the peacetime emergency for wildfires in and around the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness for 30 more days.
The extension allows the state to continue assisting communities impacted by wildfires in northern Minnesota.
Minnesota State Auditor Julie Blaha, a member of the Executive Council, said the extension of the executive order doesn’t just help with putting the fires out, but also with the recovery after.
“Just remember, when the smoke clears, this won’t be over,” Blaha said. “It will perhaps be the end of the beginning, and so we’re going to need to continue to make these communities whole.”
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Canada helping with YMCA camper extractions
Walz said we has been in contact with Ontario Premier Doug Ford regarding two groups of YMCA campers that were north of the Minnesota and Canada border. The Canadian Air Force is assisting with the extraction of the campers and one group is expected to be removed this morning. The second group is in a more remote location. They are expected to be extracted later today.
“It took one call, and over the night, all their forces were activated to go and rescue Minnesota campers from the Y, and that speaks volumes to our neighbors from Canada.
“I am just incredibly grateful that, in conjunction with the incredible folks, with a thank you to our firefighters, to our teams that are out there, to all of the folks who are putting themselves at risk, that at this point in time we don't have any injuries,” Walz said. “And the fires, while they continue to burn, are being monitored and attacked in a proper way.”
Current wildfire status
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Sarah Strommen said there are 17 active fires burning in and around the Boundary Waters. Three of those are inside the Boundary Waters, and 14 are outside, primarily burning in northern St. Louis County and Lake County. The fires, she said, appear to have been caused by a July 6 lightning storm. The fires currently cover 55,000 acres.
“The weather conditions continue to be challenging,” Strommen said. “Extreme fire conditions continue in the northeast, with the past three days of red flag conditions prompted by extreme heat, dry conditions, in combination with very dry vegetation in the area.”
She said the firefighting environment is also very challenging, as firefighters are dealing with difficult remote access. Extremely dry vegetation, intense heat and wind are exacerbating the conditions the more than 150 firefighters are facing.
“I also want to note that while our focus today is on Northeast Minnesota, we have dry conditions across the state, so we're keeping an eye on all parts of the state and need to consider that in our planning,” Strommen said.
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Forestry Division Director Patty Thielen said that while this isn’t the most wildfires Minnesota has had at one time, it is abnormal to have so many this time of year.
“For most of my career, we have spring fire season for six or eight weeks... and sometimes a fall fire season for a month or two,” Thielen said. “Over the last five or six years, we've begun to have more fires throughout more months of the year.”
"I certainly think the summer is going to be changed for a lot of people," Strommen said, referring questions to U.S. forestry officials about when and whether the BWCA would reopen to campers.
