‘Ready, set, go’ for residents as crews battle fires in northeastern Minnesota

Two large northeastern Minnesota wildfires have not grown since at least Friday, officials said Saturday, although more accurate mapping has altered the reported acreage they cover.

Hot shot crews were working on smoldering areas on the Camp House and Jenkins Creek fires, both north of Duluth, the Eastern Area Incident Management Team wrote in its daily fire report Saturday morning.

Both fires remain at zero containment, and evacuation zones are still in effect.

The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office said on Facebook that it would continue to allow property owners in the evacuation zones access for a few hours to check on their properties, with proof of ownership.

Crews made headway on containing the Munger Shaw fire, which is now 50% contained, officials said in a separate Saturday report.

Here are more details on each fire from Saturday morning’s update:

Rain has helped tamp down the Jenkins Creek wildfire east of Hoyt Lakes, which is the most active of the three fires, St. Louis County Sheriff Gordon Ramsay said in a live update Saturday.

The fire is reported to have engulfed 16,281 acres, roughly 700 acres more than listed in Friday’s report — though that change is attributed to mapping and not actual spread.

The Eastern Area team said that fire crews will prioritize protection of Hoyt Lakes and Skibo, to the west.

In the live update Saturday, East Range Police Chief Jorden Klovstad emphasized the need for a “Ready, set, go” mentality for residents in the area. He said Hoyt Lakes residents should be in the “set” phase, with belongings ready to go. If evacuation is necessary, he said, there will be plenty of time to get out with proper readiness.

“It’s not like a tornado drill where you have to get out really quick,” he said.

Residents in nearby Aurora should be in the “ready” phase and keep an eye on conditions, he said.

Klovstad encouraged Mesabi East High School students in Aurora to get out and enjoy Saturday night’s prom.

“Let’s have some normalcy. I see no concerns with any of that stuff at all right now,” he said.

Teams are working on containment lines on the fire’s northwestern edge and southern point. They are preparing for warm, dry air and wind expected midweek.

The Jenkins Creek Fire began May 12. Its cause is under investigation and 90 firefighters are battling the blaze.

The Camp House Fire, near Brimson, remains large, at 14,805 acres, the Eastern Area team said. Though the fire hasn’t grown in three days, the reported size Saturday was 47 acres smaller than on Friday, a difference officials attributed to more sophisticated mapping.

The wildfire is on track to be the most destructive to property in Minnesota in modern times. It had destroyed nearly 150 structures as of Friday.

Crews have worked on containment lines on the fire’s south and west sides, and plan to attack the fire in those areas where conditions allow. Aircraft will assist teams if flight conditions allow.

The Camp House Fire began May 11 and its cause is under investigation. There are 278 personnel responding to the blaze.

The 1,600-acre Munger Shaw Fire, located southeast of Cotton, is now 50% contained, Eastern Area team officials said in a Saturday morning report. That’s an improvement over Friday, when it was reported to be 25% contained.

Fire crews were patrolling the edge of the fire and attending to hot spots to keep it contained. Officials are working with Canadian National Railway (CN Rail) to reopen train tracks near the fire.

The fire was discovered May 12 and its cause remains under investigation, the report said. A 50-person crew is fighting the fire, down from 65 on Friday.