Authorities now estimate nearly 77,000 acres have burned across northern Minnesota, per satellite imagery.
“We’ve never seen anything like this,” said National Incident Management Organization (NIMO) Incident Commander Jason Loomis, describing 104 degree temperatures in the area’s boreal forests.
“I don’t think I need to tell you all that this is unprecedented. That’s the kind of stuff we see in Arizona in dry arid climates, not up here in upstate Minnesota,” Loomis said.
This morning’s rains briefly moderated fire behavior as the Ely area saw half an inch to an inch of precipitation in some locations over an approximately two hour period.
Despite the rain, Loomis said fuel conditions remain extreme, and last winter’s low snowpack has contributed to the dry conditions.
“Don’t let your guard down,” said Incident Meteorologist Phillip Manuel of the National Weather Service. “If you’re paying attention, temperatures are going back up this weekend, the wind’s going to pick back up this weekend, and we’re going to be right back at it with these fires moving on the landscape.”
Air Resources Advisor Josh Hall described air quality alerts extending all the way down to North Carolina as a result of smoke produced from the wildfires.
The area has seen a significant influx of resources from across the country over the past three to four days, with more personnel on the way.
A complex incident management team with 75 staff members is shifting in from the southern United States and will take over from NIMO in the near future after a day of shadowing the command team.
This means that Minnesota’s fires will have access to elite hotshot crews and a greater overall response capacity, including aircraft like water scoopers and CL-415 planes designed for efficient water drops.
“What hotshot crews do and what they bring to this system is a tremendous amount of capability,” Loomis said.
NIMO currently manages five large fires and coordinates efforts with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
Loomis said the Bear Trap Fire has shifted to the command team’s priority over the past 24 hours due to significant growth in a southward direction, toward infrastructure identified as critical by state and county authorities.
Bear Trap has now diverted some resources away from the Sioux and Camp Fires to assess the fire’s status and proximity to infrastructure.
About 150 firefighting personnel are currently on the Sioux Fire, Loomis said, with numbers fluctuating as the response team bounces from fire to fire depending on shifting fire threats and behavior.
The Thumb Fire has spotted across the Canadian border. The team will continue to coordinate with Canadian authorities and First Nations across the border.
Mike Hill of Minnesota Incident Command System Type Three Incident Management team has managed 11 fires west of Echo Lake and east of Highway 53.
These fires represent a collective of smaller-sized burns, ranging from the single digits in acreage up to the approximately 400-acre Chub Fire.
He said they aim to keep these fires as small as possible.
“Hopefully we get to the mop-up stage here soon,” Hill said.
Firefighting operations will continue to prioritize life, infrastructure and homes, especially primary residences. Loomis said they do not rank homes based on financial value.
“Homes are important, especially primary residences,” Loomis said. “They affect everyone the same.”
So far, Superior National Forest authorities estimate only three structures have been lost, all affiliated with the Forest Service.
