MN wildfires live updates: 3 uncontained wildfires continue to grow | FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul
May 14, 2025 7:42am CDT
- Three uncontained wildfires continue to burn in northern Minnesota, torching thousands of acres and destroying more than 140 structures.
The Jenkins Creek fire has surpassed the Camp House fire in size as of Wednesday morning. The three fires have burned more than 37,000 acres and are 0% contained.
"All three fires are still very active and there’s no real signs of them slowing," St. Louis County Sheriff Gordon Ramsay said in an update Tuesday night.
What we know:
The Camp House wildfire started around 1 p.m. on May 11 in Ault Township, about two miles northeast of Brimson, Minnesota.
The fire has grown to nearly 15,000 acres as of Wednesday morning, based on data from the Watch Duty app. At least 144 structures have been destroyed thus far.
Sheriff Ramsay said the fire had been growing to the north, east and west and was still actively spreading and burning as of Tuesday night. There are no active evacuations as of Tuesday night, but previous evacuation orders remain in place.
What caused the fire?:
The sheriff says this fire appears to have started with a camp fire that was left unattended. He adds that the DNR has identified the person who started the fire.
What we know:
The Jenkins Creek Fire started on May 11 near Hoyt Lakes, just north of the Camp House wildfire. The fire was detected east of County Road 110 and north of County Road 16 near Jenkins Creek.
As of Tuesday night, the fire was actively growing to the north and west along Highway 16. The Jenkins Creek Fire has now surpassed the Camp House Fire, burning nearly 20,600 acres, based on data from the Watch Duty app.
A couple of structures have been damaged or destroyed, but the sheriff said the fire remains too active to check and get further details.
Evacuations took place in the Skibo area, and additional pre-evacuation warnings were issued to residents along Highway 11 on Tuesday.
What caused this fire?:
According to the sheriff, this fire might have started with a discarded cigarette along Highway 16, as it began near a roadway.
What we know:
The Munger Shaw Fire developed on the afternoon of May 12 in Cotton Township, about 25 miles southwest of the Camp House fire. Officials said the wildfire started growing in size on Tuesday, and has burned an estimated 1,600 acres.
"Flare ups are still happening, and the fire is still dangerous," said Sheriff Ramsay.
As the fire slowly moves north, evacuation orders have started in the Pioneer Lake area and Morley Beach Road area.
Officials have also closed the following roads in the area:
What caused the fire?:
This fire appears to have started with a bail of hay that caught fire and quickly spread. The homeowner called 911 immediately, but it was already too late when authorities got there.
The Source: This report uses information from the St. Louis County Sheriff, previous FOX 9 reporting, fire officials and the Watch Duty App.
