ST. PAUL — Air and ground crews from across the U.S. and Ontario have arrived in St. Louis County to provide aid to the three biggest active wildfires in Minnesota, state officials said Tuesday.

Gov. Tim Walz hosted a news conference in St. Paul to address the response efforts at the Camp House, Jenkins Creek and Munger Shaw fires.

Walz noted that Minnesota usually experiences, on average, a little over 1,100 wildfires per year. The state has seen 970 fires on more than 37,000 acres so far in 2025.

“Last night, a lot of our firefighters (were) out there with no sleep, and pretty dangerous conditions out there,” Walz said.

No injuries have been reported at any of the wildfires.

Sarah Strommen, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, said fire danger conditions have been very high this season, and “extreme” since Sunday. She advised the public to adhere to the National Weather Service’s Red Flag Warning advisories and the DNR’s burning restrictions.

“These are dangerous fires that are still moving,” Walz said. “Just don’t burn. It is just too hot, too dry, too dangerous.”

Patty Thielen, director at the DNR’s forestry division, said in her nearly 30 years working there, the weather over the last few days is “really unprecedented.”

Thielen noted that the three St. Louis County wildfires were zero percent contained as of early Tuesday afternoon, and that the dry and windy conditions Tuesday and Wednesday are conducive to wildfire spread.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office announced around 2 p.m. Tuesday on Facebook the pre-evacuation of residents in the Kane Lake, Marble Lake and Thomas Lake areas.

“Due to the fire movement, you may need to evacuate,” the post read. “If an evacuation order is confirmed, an official will notify you.”

DNR staff are managing the Munger Shaw Fire, while a larger team will take the helm of the Camp House and Jenkins Creek fires at 8 a.m. Wednesday, she said. Dozens of volunteer departments from across the state have responded to the fires, in addition to the military, U.S. Forest Service and other responders.

John Cunningham, assistant commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, said that Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency are helping wildfire efforts by sharing information with state agencies and providing other support.

“Recovery is going to be vitally important to the communities impacted,” he noted. “This is a significant event.”

Bemidji firefighter Jake Wettschreck was part of a crew awaiting orders in Brimson on Tuesday.

“We’re a structure-based fire department, so we’re here to help the properties, the houses, the infrastructure in the fire, as opposed to fighting the fire directly itself,” Wettschreck said. "That’s pretty rare that we do that on a scale this big.

“I’ve had previous experience as a resident in incidents like this, so I understand what it’s like, being able to give back, and what that means to people.”

Camp House Fire

The largest of three wildfires in St. Louis County has grown to 11,780 acres since Sunday and consumed over 40 homes, cabins and other buildings.

“That fire grew significantly to the north and northwest yesterday,” St. Louis County Sheriff Gordon Ramsay said in a Facebook video Tuesday morning.

Evacuation orders were still in place for residents affected by the Camp House Fire.

The area of County Highway 44 has been particularly “devastated” by property loss, Ramsay said.

The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office reported on Facebook at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday that the Camp House Fire was moving north, so Minnesota Incident Command closed County Highway 16 from the intersection of St. Louis County highways 110 and 16 to the intersection of Forest Highway 15 and County Highway 2 in Lake County. Traffic was directed north.

Walz authorized the Minnesota National Guard to assist with the Camp House Fire on Monday. The U.S. Forest Service also deployed additional helicopters and planes to help fight the three wildfires.

Jenkins Creek Fire

The second wildfire, Jenkins Creek, ignited Monday morning about 14 miles southeast of Hoyt Lakes, east of the intersection of county roads 110 and 16. It grew to 1,500 acres by the evening and was around 6,800 acres as of Tuesday afternoon.

The unincorporated community of Skibo, in Bassett Township, was evacuated. At least one building has been lost in the Jenkins Creek Fire.

“They are predicting that fire to grow throughout the day and are concerned about it,” especially north toward more populated areas, Ramsay said.

Munger Shaw Fire

The third wildfire, Munger Shaw, started Monday afternoon northeast of Canyon and southeast of Cotton and was estimated at 1,300 acres Tuesday morning.

Residents in the eastern half of Cotton Township were evacuated, but that order has since been lifted.

“Right now, the DNR is somewhat optimistic” about the suppression efforts at the Munger Shaw Fire, Ramsay said.

Public safety concerns