Fast-moving wildfire prompts evacuations of homes, cabins in northeast Minnesota
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A fast-moving wildfire fueled by tinder-dry conditions and gusty winds prompted the evacuation of homes and cabins northeast of Duluth on Sunday.
It was one of at least two large wildfires in Minnesota on Sunday.
Authorities said what’s been named the Camp House Fire started near Brimson, about 35 miles north-northeast of Duluth, just after 1 p.m. Sunday.
The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office said the initial 911 caller reported a “rapidly spreading” wildfire near County Highway 44, moving northeast.
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“Initial information is a number of cabins, garages and other structures have been affected. There are no known injuries to any people at this time,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release late Sunday afternoon. “The fire also prompted several dozen residents in the area to be evacuated from their properties.”
The Minnesota Interagency Fire Center estimated the size of the Camp House Fire at about 750 acres as of late Sunday evening. Officials said wildland firefighting crews were using “full suppression tactics” and would remain on the scene overnight — and they asked that people avoid the area “for their own safety and the safety of fire personnel.”
Jeremy Olson lives near Brimson, near where the fire started. He spoke with MPR News on Sunday evening, describing how family members were up to visit earlier in the day for Mother’s Day.
“They just noticed a little bit of smoke over our tree line, and they went down to the end of the driveway — our driveway is a little bit more than a quarter, less than a half of a mile — and by the time they got down there and came back, it was a big, pillowing, blue and purple, black cloud of smoke above our tree line — like huge,” Olson recalled. “My brothers were flying down the driveway back — like, nobody goes that fast down our driveway. And so I knew right away that we were in trouble.”
Within 20 minutes, Olson said, he and his family had evacuated. Olson said he later went back to pack up family heirlooms in case he needed to evacuate again, and he set up sprinklers on the property. The fire was burning on the other side of County Highway 44, moving away from his property.
Green Lake Lutheran Ministries, which operates the Camp House summer camp on George Lake near the fire, posted on social media Sunday afternoon that it was “closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with local authorities. Our thoughts are with all those impacted by the fire, and we pray for the safety of the firefighters and first responders on the front lines.”
The executive director of Green Lake Lutheran Ministries told the Duluth News Tribune later Sunday that there are no camps currently in session and the camp appeared to be out of harm’s way with the fire burning about a half-mile to the west.
Several local volunteer fire departments were being assisted by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and U.S. Forest Service firefighters on Sunday evening, along with the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office and Rescue Squad. The Ault Town Hall in Brimson was opened as a place for local residents to get information and assistance.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. It started as red flag warnings for extreme fire danger covered nearly all of Minnesota amid Sunday’s hot, dry and windy conditions. The Minnesota DNR classified fire danger across the entire state on Sunday as “extreme” — the most serious category, indicating an “explosive” situation for wildfires.
Winds at the Duluth International Airport were gusting out of the south at nearly 40 mph on Sunday evening, with a relative humidity reading of less than 25 percent.
Red flag warnings are in effect again on Monday for most of Minnesota for continued extreme fire danger. Those warnings extend into the eastern Dakotas and northwest Wisconsin.
Granite Falls fire
Dozens of firefighters worked for hours Sunday to contain a wildfire in the Minnesota River valley near Granite Falls.
The Granite Falls Fire Department said the fire near State Highway 167 was reported just after 2 p.m., and burned nearly 150 acres. It destroyed utility poles and hunting stands — and while it approached some buildings, crews were able to keep the flames away. There were no reports of injuries. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
“We are grateful to our community and families for supporting us throughout the day. Our mutual aid brothers and sisters were fully prepared to lock arms and fight a monstrous fire,” the Granite Falls Fire Department reported in an update late Sunday night. “At final count, 23 grass rigs, dozens of tankers and engines, and two helicopters responded to the scene.”
Authorities said crews will continue monitoring the area on Monday amid the ongoing extreme fire danger.