Minnesota extends wildfire emergency declaration
The council extended the emergency 30 days as firefighters battled 17 fires that had burned about 55,000 acres, officials said.
- On Wednesday, Governor Tim Walz and the Emergency Executive Council voted to extend the peacetime emergency for 30 days beyond August 11, authorizing continued National Guard support for wildfire response efforts.
- Lightning strikes during hot, dry conditions ignited 17 wildfires that scorched approximately 55,000 acres across the Superior National Forest and Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
- More than 150 firefighters, 18 aircraft, and four National Guard helicopters are battling the blazes, while teams rescued stranded YMCA campers near the Minnesota-Canada border with Canadian agency assistance.
- St. Louis and Lake counties ordered evacuations as hazardous smoke triggered air quality alerts, prompting public health staff to establish temporary shelters for displaced residents and visitors.
- Containment timelines remain uncertain as dry conditions persist; State Auditor Julie Blaha noted communities must prepare for this as a "new normal" in the long term.
32 Articles
32 Articles
Over a dozen wildfires burning in northern Minnesota, hazardous air quality alerts issued
Wildfires continue burning across northeastern Minnesota, where 17 active fires, collectively known as the July Lightning Event, have scorched about 55,000 acres. The Boundary Waters remains closed, evacuations and rescues are underway, and Gov. Tim Walz has extended the state's peacetime emergency for another 30 days.
Wildfires prompt state of emergency, air quality alert in Minnesota - Regional Media News
(ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Minn.) - A northern Minnesota county declared a state of emergency and an air quality alert was issued on Tuesday due to wildfires raging across northern Minnesota and Canada. St. Louis County in northeast Minnesota issued a State of Local Emergency and a State of Local Disaster due to wildfire damage and the utilization of public resources needed. The U.S. Forest Service reported at least 17 wildfires burning across Superior …
Wildfires prompt state of emergency, air quality alert in Minnesota
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer speaks before Democratic presidential candidate, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and Democratic vice presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz appear on stage during a campaign event on August 7, 2024, in Detroit, Michigan. Kamala Harris and her newly selected running mate Tim Walz are campaigning across the country this week. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) (ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Minn.) — A northern Minne…
Duluth News Tribune
Minnesota extends wildfire emergency declaration
As of Wednesday morning, 17 fires continued to burn in the Northland, covering approximately 55,000 acres.
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