Minnesota wildfires fueled by 'near critical' heat destroy buildings, force evacuations
Firefighters battling three wildfires in northern Minnesota are expecting another day of "near critical" fire weather on May 14 as thousands of acres continue to burn, prompting evacuations and destroying buildings.
The Jenkins Creek fire exploded overnight to become the largest of the three burning in the St. Louis County area. The Jenkins Creek fire burned over 20,000 acres as of May 14, up from 6,800 acres the night before.
The Camp House fire, Jenkins Creek fire and Munger-Shaw fires have burned a combined total of over 30,000 acres, fueled by a recent wave of dry heat that brought near record-breaking temperatures to the Northern Plains. At least 144 structures were destroyed and parts of Highway 44 were shut down, said St. Louis County Sheriff Gordon Ramsay. All three fires were still active, Ramsay said.
"A lot of destroyed property and our hearts, prayers go out to those that are impacted by this. It's real tragic to drive around and see the destruction that's occurred," Ramsay said in a video posted to social media.
Tim Walz, governor of Minnesota and former Democratic vice presidential candidate, said he authorized the National Guard to help fight the Camp House wildfire.
"As fires continue, we’re working around the clock to ensure impacted areas have the personnel, assistance, and resources to get it under control," Walz said.
Wildfires fueled by dry heat
The wildfires sprang up as the Northern Plains region, including the Dakotas and Minnesota, experienced an unusual heat wave during the Mother's Day holiday weekend, with temperatures into the 90s and above.
Parts of Minnesota were flagged as being at above normal risk for wildfire activity in a May outlook from the National Interagency Fire Center, and red flag warnings were issued across the state on May 13.
Images shared by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration showed that the heat signatures and smoke plumes rising from the Camp House and Jenkins Creek fires were detectable by satellite.
Conditions are expected to cool off and become more humid the evening of May 14 after another warm and dry day, potentially helping with the fire behavior, officials said.
Status of Minnesota wildfires
All three wildfires were 0% contained, and their causes are still under investigation. Here's how much they've spread, according to the Minnesota Incident Command System.
Camp House Fire:
◾Started May 11 – 2 miles northeast of Brimson, Minnesota
◾Burned 11,778 acres
◾0% contained
Jenkins Creek Fire:
◾Started May 12 – 15 miles southeast of Hoyt Lakes, Minnesota
◾Burned 20,593 acres
◾0% contained
Munger-Shaw Fire:
◾Started May 12 – 2 miles south of Elora Lake near Cotton, Minnesota
◾Burned 1,400 acres
◾0% contained