The U.S. Forest service says the Camp House Fire has burned 1,250 acres and it continues to grow. Multiple agencies are on scene fighting on the ground and by air.

Jen Longacre, Minnesota Incident Control System (MNICS) told WDIO it was a very active fire day with unseasonably warm temperatures combined with the wind created dangerous fire conditions.

“We have a lot of firefighters on the ground as well as, like you said, those planes dropping water as often as they can. Unfortunately, our resources are stretched kind of thin because we do have another fire in this area that’s also growing as well,” Longacre said. “So we’re doing the best we can. We know that some homes are possibly going to be impacted, and that’s scary for those families.”

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Longacre said crews are working hard with suppression efforts to get some containment on the fire. The MNICS is working with law enforcement and emergency management partners in St. Louis County.

As of Monday evening, the Camp House Fire had grown to over 1250 acres. WDIO has learned that over 40 structures have been lost, and the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office expects more. No injuries or loss of life have been reported yet.

Highway 44 between Indian Creek Road and Brimson Road, north of Hugo’s Bar, will be closed to all traffic until further notice. The St. Louis County Sheriff’s office says over 50 structures have been evacuated.

Evacuation orders will be reevaluated on Tuesday, May 13. Authorities say residents should plan on making arrangements for another night. You can check for evacuation areas here.

On Monday, firefighters continued to use full suppression tactics, with air resources and heavy equipment while protecting threatened structures. Fire activity remained active overnight with low humidity recovery. Firefighters will build fire lines and work on containment of the fire.

The US Forest Service is coordinating the response with numerous agencies to battle the wildfire.

Authorities say if drones are detected near the fire, all air operations supporting the fire will stop. Please use caution and be aware of firefighter and responders working in the area.

Fire danger across Minnesota is Extreme, with no open burning allowed. Northern Wisconsin is listed as Extreme by the Wisconsin DNR.

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According to MNICS, The Camp House Fire was reported on Sunday, May 11 at approximately 1 p.m. just north of Brimson in St. Louis County, near the Lake County boundary. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. The Minnesota Incident Command Team C took command of the fire at 7 a.m. on Monday.

MNICS says the area burning is a mixed forest with a large number of spruce budworm infested trees.

Original Story:

On Sunday at approximately 1:15 pm, the St. Louis County 911 Center received a call about a rapidly spreading grass/wildfire in Ault Township. The fire was reported to be in the vicinity of the 2200 block of Hwy 44 in Ault Township and traveling northeasterly through the woods.

Several local fire departments are actively fighting the fire. According to St. Louis County, initial information indicates that a number of cabins, garages, and other structures have been affected. There are no known injuries to any people as of 4:42 pm on Sunday.

In a social media post at around 10:00 p.m. Sunday, the Minnesota Incident Command System said fire was estimated to be approximately 750 acres in size. Several dozen residents in the area have been evacuated from their properties.

The Ault Town Hall building has been opened, and any affected citizens in need of information or assistance are encouraged to check in there. The cause of the fire is under investigation at this time.

Responding agencies include Brimson, Pequaywan Township, North Star Township, Lakewood Township, and Normanna Township Fire Departments as well as the Minnesota DNR, St. Louis County Rescue Squad, St. Louis County Emergency Management, and the U.S. Forest Service. Several aircraft are involved in fighting the fire.