Additional aid soon could be on the way to assist with northeastern Minnesota’s wildfires, as St. Louis County Board chair Annie Harala declared a state of local emergency and disaster Monday.
She signed the declaration eight days after the Camp House Fire began, and one week after the Jenkins Creek and Munger Shaw fires ignited. The three wildfires have combined to scorch more than 30,000 acres of land in St. Louis County, destroying more than 150 structures, including houses and cabins, in their wake.
A county news release described the declaration as a procedural step toward requesting state public disaster assistance for wildfire response and recovery activities.
Harala’s declaration will remain valid for up to three days or until the County Board has an opportunity to gather and vote on a declaration. Commissioners plan to hold an emergency meeting at 9 a.m. Tuesday in the county board room of the St. Louis County Courthouse in Duluth. Sheriff Gordon Ramsay is slated to update commissioners on wildfire activities and response at that meeting.
The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Emergency Management Division is working with affected municipalities to document and assess damages, which will then be reported to the Minnesota Homeland Security and Emergency Management to determine eligibility for state public disaster assistance.
Meanwhile, even as crews continued to make progress controlling the three wildfires, the weather threatened to make their work more difficult.
The return of “near-critical fire weather conditions” Monday included gusting northeast winds bringing cool, dry air north of U.S. 2.
Gusting winds and lower relative humidity in the 15% to 25% range are expected in the same areas Tuesday, the National Weather Service said in Duluth. While rain was overspreading southern Minnesota late Monday, not much of it was expected to reach the Arrowhead.
On Monday morning, authorities said the Munger Shaw Fire southeast of Cotton had charred 1,259 acres and was 95% contained.
The perimeter of the Jenkins Creek Fire southeast of Hoyt Lakes was finally partially contained Monday morning after scorching 16,332 acres.
The U.S. Forest Service’s Eastern Area Incident Management Team reported that the fire perimeter was 6% contained.
“Great progress was made over the weekend as personnel took advantage of the cooler, wetter conditions,” the fire update read.
However, gusty, dry weather elevated the risk to the unincorporated community of Skibo and the city of Hoyt Lakes.
The Camp House Fire near Brimson was 40% contained Monday morning after burning 12,277 acres.
No evacuation orders had changed Monday.
Authorities say the causes of the fires remain under investigation.
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