Duluth News Tribune, Minn.
(TNS)
May 15—BRIMSON — Crews were focusing efforts Thursday afternoon on the northwest side of the Jenkins Creek Fire, the only one of three that was still growing.
Some firefighters were reallocated to the Jenkins Creek Fire, which is growing faster than the Camp House and Munger Shaw fires. All three fires were zero percent contained as of late Thursday afternoon.
The area west of Cadotte Lake is "a lot of inaccessible country," Brian Jenkins, incident commander for the Eastern Area Incident Management Team, said during a press conference Thursday afternoon in Two Harbors. His team manages the Brimson Complex, which includes the Camp House and Jenkins Creek fires.
Aircraft stationed in Ely, Hibbing, Bemidji and Brainerd have "been effective in keeping that in check," Jenkins said. If wind gusts reach sustained speeds of 30 mph or more, however, aircraft won't be able to fly.
Crews were monitoring the growth of the Jenkins Creek Fire in the direction of Hoyt Lakes, which has a population of around 2,000. St. Louis County Sheriff Gordon Ramsay and Jenkins both said there was a very slim chance the fire could reach Hoyt Lakes in the next 24 hours, if at all.
"Today we continue to make good progress," Jenkins said. "The weather's moderated a little bit."
Jenkins Creek Fire crews were working to protect the fire from spreading to structures in the unincorporated communities of Skibo and Fairbanks, located just west of Cadotte Lake and 18 miles southeast of Hoyt Lakes. Air crews were working an area around an AT&T cellphone tower near Cadotte Lake that connects to other local communications towers.
The incident team has orders for 18 wildland engines that will arrive from across the U.S., relieving local departments statewide that have been working the fires, Jenkins said. At least three personnel will accompany each engine.
Orders are also being filled for 20- to 25-member hotshot crews — specialized firefighters from as far as Colorado, Tennessee and Montana.
"Cooperation's been really good with the counties, the local agencies," Jenkins said. "We've had a lot of resources from across the state."
Ramsay said in a Facebook video Thursday morning that winds gusting up to 70 mph Thursday afternoon could be a "game-changer" for firefighting efforts if there isn't rain as well.
A gale warning in effect along the North Shore from 1-8 p.m. is expected to produce 3- to 6-foot waves on Lake Superior, the National Weather Service in Duluth reported.
Jenkins did not have updated numbers on how many structures have been destroyed, but the most recent figure has been over 140.
"This is going to be a historic, once-in-a-lifetime fire, in terms of the number of acres and structure destroyed," Ramsay told the News Tribune. "And it's not over."
"Any one of these fires would be a major event on its own," he said.
* Started: Monday
* Acres: 15,570
* Location: East of Hoyt Lakes
* Cause: Under investigation
* Resources: 5 engines, 3 tenders, 3 tracked vehicles, air support
* Eastern Area Complex Incident Management Team notes: "The hot, windy weather in recent days led to some extreme fire behavior with crown torching and crown spread. The fire jumped Forest Road 120 ( Skibo Road) and pushed north. Unlike the Camp House Fire, the Jenkins Creek Fire was not impacted by lake-effect winds. This fire is burning in mixed boreal forest and grassy ground cover; this area is heavily infested by spruce budworm, so there is an abundance of distressed and dead balsam fir and white spruce. Those 'snags' are especially prone to ignition." Ground access could be limited due to swamps, rivers and a lack of forest roads.
* Started: Sunday
* Acres: 14,979
* Location: Brimson
* Cause: Under investigation
* Resources: 32 engines, 13 tenders, 6 dozers, 3 tracked vehicles, air support
* Eastern Area Complex Incident Management Team notes: "Firefighters are engaged in full suppression tactics on the fire and are providing protection to threatened structures and infrastructure around the fire perimeter. The fires have been active, making short runs in the pine overstory — especially in areas with heavy spruce budworm infestation. Fire has proved challenging due to the influence of unpredictable shifting 'lake turbulence' winds." Crews were working to protect an AT&T cellphone communications tower.
* Started: Monday
* Acres: 1,600
* Location: 2 miles east of Elora Lake
* Cause: Under investigation
* Resources: 65 personnel
* Minnesota Interagency Command Team A notes: "Continue use of aircraft and ground personnel, dozers, and track vehicles to continue establishing an anchor point and containment line." The fire was "creeping and smoldering." Sixty-five personnel were on the scene.
St. Louis and Lake counties will contact residents in their respective counties if they need to evacuate. As of Thursday afternoon, current evacuations are still in place and new orders are not expected in the near future.
*
St. Louis County's "ready, set, go!" evacuation zone map
denotes evacuation status in yellow, orange and red, along with recommended plans to protect residents and their property.
*
Lake County's "ready, set, go!" evacuation zone map
denotes evacuation status in yellow, orange and red, along with recommended plans to protect residents and their property.
Evacuation centers
* St. Louis County Public Health and American Red Cross shelter at the Fredenberg Community Center, 5104 Fish Lake Road, Duluth.
* Old School Lives, 9165 U.S. Highway 53, Cotton.
A strong low-pressure system moving in Thursday could bring showers and thunderstorms to the Arrowhead by the afternoon, according to the National Weather Service in Duluth. Severe storms are possible in the afternoon and evening; however, the best chances are in Northwestern Wisconsin.
The forecast for Brimson on Thursday calls for a high of 81 degrees and a chance of showers between noon and 4 p.m. and possible thunderstorms after 4 p.m. Relative humidity was 69%.
The NWS reports that the Camp House and Jenkins Creek fires will continue to spread heavy ground-level smoke Thursday. Winds shifted to the southeast and will push the smoke plumes northwest, affecting portions of St. Louis, Itasca and Koochiching counties through the afternoon.
The NWS lifted the Red Flag Warning for Minnesota on Wednesday, but outdoor burning is discouraged.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency issued an air quality alert for fine particle pollution in Northeastern Minnesota until 4 p.m. Thursday. The Air Quality Index is expected to reach the orange level (unhealthy for sensitive groups, including those with lung disease, asthma, heart disease, children and older adults.
United Way of Northeastern Minnesota
For residents impacted in St. Louis County. It is working to establish a wildfire recovery fund. Immediate assistance is offered through its Comforts of Home program, which replaces lost items with referrals from agencies like the Red Cross and St. Louis County. All proceeds go to impacted community members.
This story was last updated at 4:40 p.m. May 15 to include information from a press conference. It was originally posted 10:32 a.m. May 15. Check back for updates.
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