Wildfires in northern Minnesota are being fueled by a forest pest
The devastating wildfires that are consuming thousands of acres of forest in northern Minnesota have been exacerbated by the actions of a wood pest.
Commanders responding to the trio of wildfires ongoing in St. Louis County say they have been fueled by the eastern spruce budworm.
The pest has been reported every year in Minnesota since 1954, enough to class its infestation as endemic, and it feasts upon the balsam firs and spruces that are abundant in Superior National Forest.
There had been fears expressed earlier this year that the proliferation of the budworm could create tinderbox conditions this spring, with a tree farm operator telling the Duluth News Tribune that his firs 'have been shedding needles and dying at an alarming rate.'
Speaking on Tuesday, Camp House Fire Incident Commander Matt Williams said that budworm has left a lot of "receptive dead and downed fuel" that has helped the fire spread quickly.
The Camp House Fire was recorded at 1,250 acres on Monday evening. By Tuesday morning, it had grown to almost 12,000.
The University of Minnesota says the budworm is responsible for defoliating or killing 'vast acreages of balsam fire and spruce' every year in Minnesota, with the Star Tribune reporting that one year saw 200,000 acres of the trees destroyed.
The U of M says that budworm damage is first noticed on outer branch shoots in the upper crowns of spruce and fir trees. Long-term damage from defoliation can kill a balsam fire in 2-3 years and a white spruce in 3-5 years.
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