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Some residents south and east of Babbitt were on notice for potential evacuation Wednesday as uncontained wildfires continued to spread.
Babbitt fire chief Tony Chamberlin said the city itself was in no imminent danger, but evacuation notices were given outside the city limits in the wake of the Jenkins Lake Fire near Hoyt Lakes.
As of Wednesday morning, the fire had spread to consume more than 20,000 acres with zero percent containment and evacuation orders in place closer to the fire area.
The Jenkins Lake Fire was one of three significant wildfires burning in St. Louis County, amid dry conditions and unseasonably warm May temperatures.
Significant winds also exacerbated the fire threat, and officials are hoping that rain and cooler temperatures, forecast to begin Thursday evening, would ease some of the threat.
The spread of the fires stoked fear, particularly on social media, but Chamberlin took to Facebook Wednesday to soothe some of the concerns.
A post on the city’s page reported: “The City of Babbitt Fire Department does not feel that the city of Babbitt is at imminent risk of the wildland fires to the south. Although it is good to have a level of preparedness, the risk of our community needing to evacuate is low.
“If that were to change, notification would be made with plenty of notice to do so. Forecasted weather patterns are favorable to our community and the fires are still several miles away. Lesser winds, higher humidity, and a change in wind direction have put Babbitt at a much lower risk than we were considering, even just 24 hours ago.”
Classes at the Northeast Range school in Babbitt were canceled Wednesday due to “severe smoke and ash which will be sensitive to most everyone and the possible risk of evacuation.”
State Rep. Natalie Zeleznikar and State Rep. Roger Skraba visited the Brimson area Tuesday night to tour the fire damage alongside St. Louis County Sheriff Gordon Ramsay.
“The devastation was surreal, and I’m grateful I was able to be with the people I represent
Smoke from the wildfires south of Babbitt brought smoke and even ash to Babbitt last week as the drone photo by Ken Hupila shows.
during such a horrific time," said Zeleznikar.
Skraba and Zeleznikar met with many residents, offering support at Hugo’s Bar, a 24-hour community hub providing supplies and camaraderie.
“This is an area deeply loved by those who live, visit, and work here," said Zeleznikar. "I send my heartfelt thanks to all the townships and cities contributing to the fight against these fires of historic magnitude."
“The outpouring of support is truly appreciated. We visited the Incident Command Center at the Two Harbors Fairgrounds, where firefighters are coordinating around the clock," said Skraba.
“You’ll see many trucks coming in from around the state to help, and here in the Northland are incredibly grateful." State Sen. Grant Hauschild said, “My heart goes out to everyone impacted by the wildfires burning across Northern Minnesota. I've been in touch with the DNR, U.S. Forest Service, the Sheriff's Office, local mayors, and county commissioners to offer my full support and make sure we’re doing everything we can to help.
"A huge thank you to the fire - fighters and first responders on the front lines—you’re the reason our communities stay safe. We've got your back, and we’ll get through this together."
An air quality alert because of wildfire smoke was in effect through Wednesday afternoon for northern St. Louis, Lake and Cook counties.
In addition to the Jenkins Lake Fire, the Camp House fire is burn ing near Brimson, about 40 miles northeast of Duluth, and has covered about 15,000 acres as of Wednesday. It destroyed more than 100 structures and was abutting Lake County.
The two fires are just a few miles apart and are now being managed as the "Brimson complex" fires.
Meanwhile, the Munger Shaw Fire burned about 25 miles away between Canyon and Cotton and encompassed about 1,300 acres.
Sections of federal lands near the fires were closed by the U.S.
Forest Service, with campsites and recreation areas closed.
Several road and highway closures were reported as well, including County Highway 16 / Town Line Road between the Iron Range and North Shore.
The fires were noticeable in the Ely area, with falling ash at times, as well as a distinct smell of smoke and the sight of fire-created haze, depending on wind conditions.
No Ely area residences were part of any evacuation notice as of Wednesday.
And in Babbitt, there was op- timism as well as preparedness.
In an online post, city officials said: “The Babbitt Fire Department has plans in the event things turn unfavorable for our community and are backed with tons of support from other agencies, including neighboring fire departments, along with county, state, and feder- al resources. We will be continually following the updates of the fire's status and evaluating our level of risk."
