Persistent Minnesota wildfires cause more evacuations while poor air quality hangs on

Kyeland Jackson, The Minnesota Star Tribune on Jul 18, 2026

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MINNEAPOLIS — State and federal authorities have expanded evacuation orders in Minnesota as an unprecedented band of wildfires threaten to scorch properties and homes.

The 15 fires in the Superior National Forest, which includes three in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, have now burned through more than 77,000 acres according to the Southern Area Complex Incident Management Team. The team and federal officials said in a news release Saturday that the BWCA would remain closed as crews fight the fires. The flames could smolder until snow falls.

“While some of the fires were contained, several have continued to grow due to record-breaking high temperatures and low humidity,” the news release said. “Additional firefighters, equipment and support staff continue to be ordered including a Complex Incident Management Team.”

Emergency crews asked residents to help by following evacuation orders, refraining from flying drones and keeping boats off the water where fire crews are working.

The areas under “GO” orders to evacuate now include:

—The Echo Trail corridor, north of the intersection of Echo Trail and North Arm Road

—Lake County, from the Garden Lake Bridge to the end of Fernberg at Lake One along Hwy .16.

—St. Louis County, from Big Lake “up to the 200 road near the Sioux Fire.”

The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office advised residents under a “GO” order to account for all members of the household, close all windows, leave exterior lights on for firefighters, and take a pre-planned evacuation route.

Other residents under a “SET” order, which asks they prepare for evacuation by collecting valuables and moving flammable items to the center of their home, now include:

—Remaining areas of St. Louis County.

—The end of the Gunflint Trail in Cook County.

Northern parts of Schroeder, Tofte, Lutsen, the northside of Burntside Lake, and the city of Winton have now moved into “READY” status, asking that they prepare for a possible evacuation.

As those evacuation orders expand, officials predict air quality Sunday will worsen conditions for people in Ely, Duluth and Marquette, Michigan, in the Upper Peninsula. Marquette’s air quality was reportedly “very unhealthy” Saturday and is expected to downgrade to “unhealthy” by Sunday.

Volunteers and emergency crews from across the nation have traveled to Minnesota to fight the blazes, which have already set records for their impact on nearby forests and air quality.

Despite nearly 30 years of work around the BWCA, Big Lake Wilderness Lodge owner Chuck Huber said he’s has never seen fires like these.

“From what I’ve heard, the fire is a half mile to three-quarters of a mile from getting to the Echo Trail,” Huber said Saturday. “We got all our guests out safe, and it’s scary.”

Huber said guests booked all 16 cabins on the property before they were asked to evacuate, and the lost revenue comes at a crucial time for nearby outfitters and business owners to earn money.

Some people took extra measures to protect property from the fires, such as members of a YMCA camp in Ely who sank 19 prized canoes into a lake for protection.

Lodge of Whispering Pines owner Echo Trail Outfitters co-owner Daniel Houle, who also owns Echo Trail Outfitters, said he and emergency crews are clearing brushes, cutting swaths of nearby woods, and showering the lodge and area with water everyday to keep it safe.

Houle explained that 2026 marks 100 years since the historic lodge was built, and he wants to save it for future generations. So as 70 customers and a handful of staff evacuated, Houle, lodge general manager and Echo Trail Outfitters co-owner Denise Myers, and 19-year-old staffer Aaron Nunez have taken trips back to the lodge to help emergency crews safeguard the lodge.

“It’s that place. It’s where people learn to paddle. Where kids learn to navigate the wilderness, it’s where grandmothers and grandfathers bring their kids to show them the boundary waters,” Houle said.

“Tell everybody to say a prayer, we’re trying to save this for the next generation.”

The wildfires began after a July 6 thunderstorm caused more than 1,000 lightning strikes across northeastern Minnesota and southern Canada, federal officials said in Saturday’s statement.

It’s unclear when firefighters could gain control of the wildfires, but experts say dry heat waves helped create flames that could smolder until snow falls.