14-05-2025
Sheriff: Over 40 buildings lost, community 'devastated' by Minnesota wildfires
Three large wildfires remain uncontained in St. Louis County on Tuesday afternoon, with dozens of homes and cabins destroyed and over 20,000 acres burned.
The Brimson-area Camp House Fire, which ignited Sunday, now spans roughly 12,000 acres after spreading rapidly to the north and northeast Monday.
St. Louis County Sheriff Gordon Ramsay said burned trees are falling over, creating new hazards and blocking roads and driveways. Wooden bridges have also been burned or damaged.
Over 40 buildings, including homes and cabins, have been lost in the blaze, which has "devastated" the community along Highway 44, Ramsay said.
Local business Hugo's Bar, a cornerstone of the Brimson community, has been able to remain open, owners Jessica and Jesse Willemarck told Bring Me The News on Monday afternoon.
The restaurant has been donating tacos to emergency responders from its community food truck, and continuing to serve local residents – some of whom have lost their homes.
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Commissioner Sarah Strommen said Minnesota has been experiencing "extreme" fire conditions since May 11, with uncommonly dry fuels, warm temperatures and increasing drought contributing to the fire danger.
'With these conditions, none of the current fires across the state are easily suppressed and they require significant time and resources to extinguish,' Strommen said.
Speaking at a press conference Tuesday afternoon, Gov. Tim Walz said Minnesota typically experiences roughly 1,100 wildfires per year.
A staggering 970 fires, impacting over 37,000 acres, have already been reported this year.
Walz said the developing situation in northeast Minnesota is 'still incredibly dangerous', but rain and cooler temperatures are in the forecast for Thursday.
'But this is going to be an ongoing battle, probably throughout most of the summer,' he Thielen, director of the DNR's forestry division, said extremely low humidity and high winds have allowed wildfires to spread quickly.
'I've worked for DNR Forestry for nearly 30 years and the weather the last few days is just really unprecedented,' Thielen said.
Despite the challenging conditions, Thielen said firefighters have been successful in containing or extinguishing more than 70 fires.
Two other large wildfires, in addition to the Camp House fire, are proving especially difficult to manage. All three fires remained at zero-percent containment Tuesday afternoon.
The Jenkins Creek Fire, discovered Monday about five miles northwest of the Camp House Fire in the Superior National Forest, now spans roughly 6,800 acres, authorities said.
At least one structure has been lost and the Skibo area is under evacuation Tuesday. Ramsay said authorities are concerned the fire will spread north, putting more populated areas at risk.
The third large fire burning in St. Louis County, known as the Munger Shaw Fire, was discovered Monday afternoon and spans roughly 1,400 acres Tuesday, according to the DNR.
Lake effect winds are expected to create challenges for firefighters Tuesday, but higher relative humidity could provide some relief overnight.
Starting around 8 a.m. Wednesday morning, a larger incident command team will take control of the Camp House and Jensen Creek fires - to be known together as the Brimson Complex.
The cause of all three fires remains under investigation, but the Camp House fire is widely rumored to have begun with an unattended camp fire.
Ramsey, the sheriff, confirmed this in an interview with FOX 9 All Day, adding that the DNR has identified the person who started the fire.
Ramsey also told the station a discarded cigarette is possibly to blame for the Jenkins Creek fire, which started near Highway 16.
The Munger Shaw fire, FOX 9 reports, appears to have ignited when a bail of hay caught fire.
BMTN Note: Weather events in isolation can't always be pinned on climate change, but the broader trend of increasingly severe weather and record-breaking extremes seen in Minnesota and across the globe can be attributed directly to the rapidly warming climate caused by human activity. The IPCC has warned that Earth is "firmly on track toward an unlivable world," and says greenhouse gas emissions must be halved by 2030 in order to limit warming to 1.5C, which would prevent the most catastrophic effects on humankind. You can read more here.
