Brimson Complex firefighters construct handline on May 18, 2025. Photo: Inciweb

By Laura Durenberger-Grunow - Boreal Community Media - May 22, 2025

As wildfires continue to burn across northeastern Minnesota, Governor Tim Walz declared a peacetime emergency earlier this week. The peacetime emergency directs state agencies to provide the assistance necessary to respond to and recover from the Camp House, Jensens Creek, and Munger Shaw fires. In addition, St. Louis County officials declared a state of local emergency, requesting public disaster assistance.

Under the peacetime emergency, the Department of Public Safety's Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management is tasked with coordinating on-site support and assistance to affected local governments and identifying further emergency aid requirements. While some parts of Minnesota have experienced rain and cooler temperatures, other parts, including some in the northeastern region, remain windy and dry. 

Governor Walz said in a statement that the state is committed to deploying all available resources and praised the coordinated efforts of emergency management officials, first responders, wildland firefighters, and law enforcement. The peacetime emergency will further support officials.

Earlier in the month, Governor Walz authorized the Minnesota National Guard to provide emergency assistance, working with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the Minnesota Interagency Fire Center, and other state and local agencies. The National Guard is contributing personnel, assistance, and resources to support wildfire fighting efforts. Governor Walz, MN Senator Grant Hauschild, and US Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar surveyed the fire damage and met with emergency management officials in the Two Harbors area.

Here's an update on the individual fires:

Jensens Creek Fire

Located approximately 15 miles southeast of Hoyt Lakes, the Jensens Creek Fire, which started on May 12, is currently estimated at over 16,700 acres and is 32% contained. Initial investigations suggest a human cause for this fire. Firefighters are working to establish and strengthen containment lines, focusing on structure protections for communities like Skibo and Hoyt Lakes. 226 crew members are assigned to this fire and are using various resources, including engines, bulldozers, tracked vehicles, and aerial support. According to the Minnesota Incident Command Center, strong winds continue to test firelines and may expose lingering heat sources. Additional firefighters from the Camp House Fire are being reallocated to assist with containment efforts on the Jensens Creek Fire.

 This incident map provides an overview of the Camp House and Jenkins Creek wildfires in northern Minnesota as of May 21, 2025. Image: Inciweb

Camp House Fire

The Camp House Fire, which ignited on May 11 near Brimson, is approximately 12,071 acres and is now 90% contained. Firefighters have made progress building and reinforcing containment lines, which have held effectively despite recent strong winds. Overnight precipitation has also contributed to cooling the fire. 363 crew members are assigned to this fire and continue to work on connecting containment lines in challenging areas and are moving deeper into the fire's interior to extinguish smoldering areas, according to the Minnesota Incident Command Center. Over 150 structures, primarily homes and cabins, have been reported destroyed. Evacuation orders have been adjusted, and some previously closed roads have been reopened. The cause of the Camp House Fire remains under investigation.

Munger Shaw Fire

The Munger Shaw Fire, located southeast of Cotton, is currently estimated at 1,259 acres and is 95% contained, as shared in the final update by the Minnesota Incident Command Center. With the fire mostly contained, the management of this fire is transitioning back to the local Cloquet Area DNR Forestry. Isolated smoldering hotspots within the fire's interior may continue to produce smoke until substantial precipitation occurs. All evacuation orders for the Munger Shaw Fire have been cancelled. The fire is believed to have started from a bale of hay that caught fire.

Cooperating agencies, including the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Bureau of Indian Affairs, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and USDA Forest Service, are working together to manage these incidents, alongside local fire departments and emergency management services.