Minnesota deploys national guard to help fight wildfires in northern region

Minnesota’s national guard has been activated to help battle wildfires burning in the northern part of the state after the Department of Natural Resources requested additional support.Governor Tim Walz authorized the deployment by issuing an executive order that declared a peacetime emergency.“Unpredictable and fast-moving wildfires are putting Minnesota communities at risk,” Walz said in a statement. “This emergency declaration ensures we can fully mobilize the resources needed to protect lives, support evacuations, and help communities respond and recover. I’m grateful to the firefighters, members of the Minnesota-national-guard" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="13225" data-entity-type="organization">Minnesota National Guard, and all our first responders working around the clock to keep Minnesotans safe.”Through the activation, guard members will contribute staffing, equipment and other aid to support firefighting operations and broader emergency response activities.Highway 61 is closed heading north out of Two Harbors, Minnesota, due to the Stewart Trail fire. Photograph: Facebook/ Lake County Ambulance ServiceTwo of the most significant blazes currently burning are the Stewart Trail fire near Two Harbors, which has grown to an estimated 355 acres (145 hectares), and the Flanders fire in Crow Wing county, estimated at about 1,200 acres. Crews throughout northern Minnesota faced a demanding Saturday as dry, windy conditions fueled several new wildfire outbreaks.By Sunday afternoon, the Minnesota-incident-command-system" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="128812" data-entity-type="organization">Minnesota Incident Command System (MNICS) reported that the Stewart Trail fire had reached 30% containment.Mandatory evacuations remained in effect on Sunday for residences and businesses north-east of Two Harbors. State Highway 61 was also shut down between Two Harbors and Silver Bay.Nathan Stadler, the Lake County sheriff, said on Saturday evening that preliminary damage assessments showed the fire destroyed 34 structures, including eight primary buildings such as homes and another 26 secondary structures.“We know that this situation is stressful for residents, visitors, everybody involved, and our teams are working around the clock to keep people safe,” Stadler said at a news conference on Saturday. “The crews are doing the best they can. They’re working hard to get this fire under control, get the area safe, so that people can get back into their properties.”State authorities warned that changing wind patterns and stronger gusts may complicate containment efforts. Officials also said a temporary flight restriction remains active and urged people not to operate drones near the fires.