Gov. Tim Walz declared a peacetime emergency Sunday and mobilized the Minnesota National Guard as roughly 20 wildfires burned across northern Minnesota amid dry fuels and a forecast of extreme heat.
"I've declared a peacetime emergency and mobilized the National Guard to assist with wildfire response in northern Minnesota," Walz announced Sunday evening. "Minnesotans extend our deepest gratitude to all of the first responders working around the clock to keep their neighbors safe."
Closure in the Boundary Waters, multiple fires growing
Five of the incidents are burning inside the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northern St. Louis County, prompting a closure that stretches roughly from the Crane Lake area north of Ely to the Canadian border. Several fires are difficult to reach on the ground, and managers have relied on aircraft for water and retardant drops.
Incident updates published by the U.S. Forest Service during Sunday showed rapid growth for several fires as winds increased, vegetation moisture remained low and relative humidity dropped. Smoke columns from some blazes were visible from nearby communities.
- Wolfpack Fire: about 80 acres
- Bear Trap and Dark Fires (merged): about 700 acres combined
- Thumb Fire: roughly 600 acres
- Pond Fire: 2.3 acres
- Sioux Fire: about 288 acres
Officials reported that the Dark Fire was detected Sunday and later merged with the Bear Trap Fire. The Bear Trap Fire produced a visible column earlier in the day; Forest Service updates showed its acreage rising sharply in evening reports. The Thumb Fire expanded substantially in a 24-hour period and is being attacked primarily from the air because crews cannot easily access the location.
| Fire | Approx. size (acres) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Wolfpack | 80 | In BWCAW |
| Bear Trap + Dark | 700 | Merged; active growth toward Crooked Lake |
| Thumb | 600 | Access limited; aerial drops in use |
| Pond | 2.3 | Small |
| Sioux | 288 | Burning toward BWCAW via wind-driven spotting |
State response and local impacts
The peacetime emergency declaration authorizes the National Guard to provide personnel, equipment and other resources to support suppression and emergency response. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Forest Service and local emergency responders are among the agencies working on containment and public safety. Aircraft have been actively employed to slow fire spread where ground crews cannot reach the flames.
Local communities near the Superior National Forest and the Boundary Waters are watching smoke and fire behavior closely. The situation remains dynamic: officials noted several fires experienced increased growth during the afternoon hours because of higher winds and low humidity.
Recreation users, area residents and visitors should expect closures and travel disruptions in north St. Louis County and portions of the Superior National Forest. Authorities will provide further updates as containment efforts progress and as weather conditions evolve.
State and federal managers have not released a consolidated total acreage for all active fires beyond the individual incident updates. Firefighters continue to prioritize life and property protection while conducting suppression where conditions allow.
The mobilization of the National Guard aims to bolster suppression capacity and logistical support as the state contends with multiple simultaneous incidents in rugged and often remote terrain.
