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2026 Minnesota wildfires

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2026 Minnesota wildfires
BERJAYA
The Thumb Fire on July 11
← 2025

A series of wildfires have been burning throughout the U.S. state of Minnesota.

Background

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BERJAYA
Minnesota drought monitor on July 7

While "fire season" varies every year in Minnesota, most wildfires occur in April and May. On average, over 1,500 wildfires occur each year, and 75% of those occur in those months. However, there is another small peak in fall. This happens when snow melts, so vegetation begins to dry out, and more dry and windy conditions lead to more fire activity. While precipitation can moisten vegetation, it quickly dries up within an hour. Dry winters can make vegetation much more vulnerable to wildfires.[1][2][3]

List of wildfires

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The following is a list of fires that burned more than 1,000 acres (400 ha), produced significant structural damage, or resulted in casualties.

Name County Acres Start date Containment date[a] Notes Ref.
Lone Pine Becker 1,500 April 22 April 27 Undetermined cause. Burned in Callaway. [5][6]
Flanders Crow Wing 1,685 May 16 May 20 Caused by a campfire. Prompted evacuations in Mission. Damaged several houses and destroyed several outbuildings. [7][8]
Thumb St. Louis 4,648 July 7
0%
 Lightning-caused. Burning in Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, closing the area and prompting evacuations. [9][10][11]
Camp Lake 1,500 July 7
0%
 Lightning-caused. Burning northeast of Ely and prompting evacuations. [12][10][13]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ↑ Containment means that fire crews have established and secured control lines around the fire's perimeter. These lines are artificial barriers, like trenches or cleared vegetation, designed to stop the fire's spread, or natural barriers like rivers. Containment reflects progress in managing the fire but does not necessarily mean the fire is starved of fuel, under control, or put out.[4]

References

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  1. ↑ Hart, Jessica (March 28, 2025). "DNR says the most wildfires in MN happen in the spring". KARE. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  2. ↑ Buffington, Megan (March 8, 2024). "Dry winter sparks early spring fire season in Minnesota". KAXE. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  3. ↑ Livingston, Ian (May 14, 2025). "Several wildfires are burning in Minnesota, fueled by hot and dry conditions". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  4. ↑ "What containment and other wildfire related terms mean". KCAL-TV. September 12, 2024. Archived from the original on February 9, 2026. Retrieved July 14, 2026.
  5. ↑ "Lone Pine Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved July 14, 2026.
  6. ↑ "Lone Pine - Wildfire and Smoke Map". data.sctimes.com. Retrieved July 14, 2026.
  7. ↑ "Flanders Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved July 14, 2026.
  8. ↑ Marohn, Kirsti (May 20, 2026). "DNR identifies starting location, people of interest connected to Flanders Fire". Minnesota Public Radio. Retrieved July 14, 2026.
  9. ↑ "Thumb Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved July 14, 2026.
  10. 1 2 "July 2026 Superior NF Wildfires Information". InciWeb. Retrieved July 14, 2026.
  11. ↑ Griswold, David (July 13, 2026). "Fire in Boundary Waters grows to 6,500 acres". KARE. Retrieved July 14, 2026.
  12. ↑ "Camp Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved July 14, 2026.
  13. ↑ Krueger, Andrew (July 14, 2026). "Evacuation orders expanded for wildfire burning northeast of Ely". Minnesota Public Radio. Retrieved July 14, 2026.
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