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Morning Edition
Cathy Wurzer and Gracie Stockton

Crews hopeful cold front will extinguish wildfire as 'long season' continues

An aerial view of smoke rising from a forest.
A view of the Evergreen Forest Fire in Chengwatana State Forest. The fire closed the state part in parts of Pine and Chisago counties.
Courtesy of Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

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Streaks of high temperatures in the 80s combined with worsening drought conditions are contributing to an extended wildfire season in Minnesota.

The Evergreen Forest Fire is now 20 percent contained and remains at 167 acres large as it continues to burn in the Chengwatana State Forest near Pine City in east-central Minnesota. More than 60 people are part of the crew mopping up the fire and establishing more containment lines.

The National Preparedness Level is at a four out of five, meaning demand is high nationwide for shared wildfire-fighting resources. Christine Kolinski, a spokesperson for the Minnesota Incident Command System, told MPR News some seasonal firefighters are done for the year.

“So when we push the fire season into so late in the fall, like we are now, sometimes some of those resources have already been laid off with the government, and then we're using other resources like permanent employees and contractors,” Kolinski explained.

The Evergreen Forest Fire led the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to close 4,500 acres of forestland to keep the public safe; the closure bumps up against the St. Croix River.

“That's a really nice natural feature that we can use as part of our containment line,” Kolinski said. The Snake River forms a southern boundary, too, and she’s confident in the lines.

Crews will continue to work inward as they battle through tough terrain, flammable leaf litter and hot temperatures. The fire was first reported on Thursday.

Right now, more than 71 percent of Minnesota is in at least moderate drought conditions; more than one-quarter of the state is experiencing severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Temperatures are set to drop as a cool front moves across Minnesota Tuesday which could hearken scattered showers for the northern half of the state. Kolinski is hopeful that cool front and potential precipitation could put a damper on the wildfire.