Wildfire containment helped by rainy weekend, dry forecast prompts new Red Flag Warning
Large wildfires in St. Louis County have mobilized emergency responders and firefighters across the region. The Camp House fire and Jenkins Creek fire, known collectively as the Brimson Complex fires, and a third, smaller fire, the Munger Shaw fire, have collectively burned over 30,000 acres.
The Eastern Area Incident Management Team held a briefing on Monday evening to give updates about the fire effort. They were joined by representatives from the U.S. Forest Service, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MN DNR), and St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department. In the briefing the EA IMT reported that the rain and cooler temperatures over the weekend assisted firefighters, allowing them to make some progress on the fires.
The Munger Shaw fire is considered 95% contained, the Camp House fire is 40% contained, and the Jenkins Creek fire is 6% contained.
Though the storms helped responders make progress on containment, Joe Allye, Operations Section Chief of the Incident Management Team said at the briefing that it also limited the ability to use infrared technology to monitor the fires. With the storms passed, he anticipates more use of drones with infrared cameras as part of the management response.
The weekend’s rain may have helped the effort to contain the wildfires, but with dry weather in the forecast, the National Weather Service has, once again, issued a Red Flag Warning for the area. The warning, which takes effect at noon on May 20, includes much of northern Minnesota, including St. Louis, Lake, and Cook Counties.
According to the MN DNR, “A Red Flag Warning means fires can spread quickly and grow out of control under the predicted weather conditions, including strong winds and low humidity levels…The DNR will not issue or activate open burning permits for large vegetative debris burning during the Red Flag Warning, and campfires are discouraged.”
The Red Flag Warning remains in place until 9 p.m. on May 20.
Kirsten Wisniewski May 20, 2025
