Air quality alerts spread across Minnesota as fires rage, sending smoke south

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. 

Turn Up Your Support

Thick smoke is clogging the air and small pieces of ash are falling from the sky over Ely this morning.

Seventeen wildfires are burning across northern Minnesota, most concentrated in the area northwest of Ely. In total, the fires have burned about 35,000 acres or 55 square miles, an area about the same size as the city of St. Paul. 

Evacuations continue near the Fernberg Road corridor east of Ely, an area with many homes and cabins, along with parts of the Echo Trail northwest of Ely.

The winds are expected to be a little lighter today and temperatures about 10 degrees cooler than Tuesday, which is good news for the crews fighting the fires. 

St. Louis County Sheriff Gordon Ramsay said fire officials are still concerned about how fast the fires have moved and the amount of fuel, such as dead trees, that remains in the forest.

Get the latest information on wildfires in Minnesota

Live updates on Wildfires in Minnesota

Dan Kraker

Author

Seventeen wildfires are burning across northern Minnesota, most concentrated in the area northwest of Ely. Evacuations continue near the Fernberg Road corridor east of Ely, an area with many homes and cabins, along with parts of the Echo Trail northwest of Ely.

MPR News Correspondent Dan Kraker, who is based in Duluth, reports live from Ely, Minn. where smoke lingers as wildfires burn across northeast Minnesota. 

Smoky skies over northeast Minnesota as wildfires continue to burn

Go Deeper.

Like this?

News you can use in your inbox