Photo: MNICS

By Laura Durenberger-Grunow - Boreal Community Media - Updated 10:30 a.m., May 18, 2026

Firefighters continue to make progress containing the perimeter of the Stewart Trail Fire in Two Harbors, MN, according to a Monday morning update from the Minnesota Incident Command System (MNICS). The area also received rain overnight, which helped with suppression efforts. The fire is now 355 acres, with 62% containment. 

MNICS reports that 34 structures have been lost, including 8 primary and 26 outbuildings. The fire is thought to have been caused by a power line. 

The increased containment has allowed Lake County officials to reduce portions of the active evacuation zones in areas where public safety threats have decreased. However, some evacuation orders are still in place. 

U.S. Highway 61 remains closed between the Stewart River and the Silver Cliff Tunnel due to ongoing firefighting operations. A detour has been established, and officials have requested that people utilize the detour and stay out of the closure area. 

Drones are still prohibited from the area. 

The fire began on Friday, May 15. 

According to MNICS, a total of 77 personnel are currently working on the fire. Over the weekend, ground crews successfully contained a small flare-up deep within the fire's perimeter caused by shifting winds.

Crews have been working to reinforce control lines and are conducting "mop-up" operations, extinguishing lingering heat and smoldering debris, at least 125 feet inside the southern and western perimeters, and 60 feet inside the eastern perimeter, MNICS reports. Additionally, structure protection teams have completed mop-up tasks around local buildings to establish 200-foot protective buffers.

Throughout last night, two engines and two tracked vehicles patrolled the fire perimeter and local structures for remaining hot spots. Crews also gridded and patrolled the containment lines before rain began falling in the area.

On Monday, firefighters plan to search the area to extinguish any remaining pockets of heat, use hose lays to improve containment lines on the northern edge, and remove snags, identify, and wet down smoldering stumps and roots. 

High temperatures throughout the day are expected to be in the 40s, with relative humidity reaching up to 80%, compared to much lower levels throughout the weekend (20-30%). According to MNICS, northeast winds are forecasted to increase to 6 to 14 mph this evening into overnight, with gusts potentially reaching 25 mph. Rain and thunderstorms are also possible.