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Jenkins Creek Fire was human-caused, initial investigation shows

Wildfire evacuation orders lifted for 13 zones as containment of the Camp House Fire grew to 73% by Wednesday morning.

Fire Damage.C01.jpg
A St. Louis County sheriff’s deputy informs a resident leaving the Jenkins Creek and Camp House fires evacuation zone they can’t return to their property May 13. Evacuation orders for 13 zones were lifted Tuesday.
Wyatt Buckner / Duluth Media Group

BRIMSON, Minn. — The largest of the wildfires burning in St. Louis County was likely caused by people.

In an update Wednesday, May 21, the Eastern Area Incident Management Team said the initial investigation into the nearly 17,000-acre Jenkins Creek Fire, which started May 12, shows “the fire is related to a human cause.” The update noted the investigation is ongoing.

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The causes of the 12,000-acre Camp House Fire and 1,259-acre Munger Shaw Fire remain “undetermined,” according to the Wildfire Incident Information System.

Meanwhile, several evacuation orders are being lifted.

In St. Louis County, 13 in “go” status were improved to “set” status Tuesday, the sheriff’s office reported on Facebook.

St. Louis County Highway 33 and County Road 110/Forest Highway 11 also reopened to traffic at 8 a.m. Wednesday.

“Property owners are urged to take extra caution in the area,” the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post Tuesday night. “Be aware that the burned areas may still show smoke from various stumps and debris — this is not of concern when inside the already burned area. However, if smoke or flames are found outside the already burned area or anywhere it is clearly a hazard, please call 911.”

In Lake County, the only active evacuation zone remaining is the Murphy Lake Road area, Matt Pollmann, the county's emergency management director, said in a Facebook video Tuesday night.

“Containment is over 40%, so they are feeling confident with the Camp House Fire,” he said.

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Significant progress was made in containing the perimeter of the Camp House Fire to 73%, the Eastern Area Complex Incident Management Team reported Wednesday morning.

The three wildfires started over a week ago.

Jenkins Creek Fire status, Wednesday, May 21

  • Started: May 12
  • Acres: 16,748
  • Location: 15 miles southeast of Hoyt Lakes
  • Cause: Human-caused
  • Resources: 223
  • Containment: 13%
  • Eastern Area Complex Incident Management Team notes: “Fire: Crews held line around the fire despite the strong, gusting winds. Unmanned Aerial Systems flew five flights during breaks in the wind, detecting areas with heat that were then attacked by ground crews. Today, additional firefighters will be moved from the Camp House Fire to the Jenkins Fire to make a push to connect existing containment lines. The heavy equipment that was working along the southern edge of the fire to masticate (chop up) large fallen debris into wood chips will progress north today. The debris that is chipped up will not burn as hot should fire reach the wood chippings. Over time, the woody chip debris will decompose quicker.”
smoke billows into the sky from a wildfire
Crews use a helicopter to battle the Jenkins Creek Fire near St. Louis County Highway 16 on May 12.
Clint Austin / File / Duluth Media Group

Camp House Fire status, Wednesday, May 21

  • Started: May 11
  • Acres: 12,071
  • Location: 2 miles northeast of Brimson
  • Cause: Under investigation
  • Resources: 365 personnel
  • Containment: 73%
  • Eastern Area Complex Incident Management Team notes: “Firefighters’ steady effort in battling the Camp House Fire over the past week paid off as all existing lines held despite strong winds from the east. Overnight precipitation continued to aid in cooling the fire. Two hotshot crews will continue to work in some of the more challenging terrain to finish connecting portions of the containment line. Other crews will begin moving deeper into the interior from the southern end of the fire to find and put out any smoldering areas inside the containment line. The fire initially started on private land and moved into national forest system lands, and a Forest closure is still in effect.”
Two men stand by a St. Louis County Sheriff's Office truck, looking at smoke in the distance
The Camp House Fire can be seen from a road closure at the intersection of County Highway 15 and County Highway 2 on May 13.
Wyatt Buckner / File / Duluth Media Group

Munger Shaw Fire status, Wednesday, May 21

  • Started: May 12
  • Acres: 1,259
  • Location: Southeast of Cotton
  • Cause: Under investigation
  • Resources: 9 personnel
  • Containment: 95%
  • Cloquet Area DNR Forestry notes: Firefighters are patrolling the area and mopping up isolated hotspots. No fire growth is expected, although high winds are a concern.
Trees on fire
The Munger Shaw Fire burns next to Three Lakes Road on May 13.
Wyatt Buckner / File / Duluth Media Group

Weather forecast

The Wednesday forecast for the Brimson and Two Harbors area calls for mostly cloudy skies and a high near 56 degrees, with an east wind around 15 mph, gusting as high as 30 mph, the National Weather Service in Duluth reported.

A gale warning was in effect Wednesday until 1 p.m. for the North Shore from Two Harbors to Duluth.

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A frost advisory was in effect from 1 to 9 a.m. Thursday for St. Louis and Lake counties, the NWS said. Temperatures could drop as low as 31 degrees.

The forecast for Thursday is sunny, with a high near 65 degrees and a northeast wind around 5 mph.

Air assets from across the nation have been assembled to slow the spread of the Camp House and Jenkins Creek fires.

Evacuations

St. Louis and Lake counties will contact residents in their respective counties if they need to evacuate.

  • denotes evacuation status in yellow, orange and red, along with recommended plans to protect residents and their property.
  • denotes evacuation status in yellow, orange and red, along with recommended plans to protect residents and their property.

Evacuation centers are no longer in operation.

For questions about Camp House, Jenkins Creek fires

U.S. Forest Service hotline: 218-206-6805

Evacuees continue to await access back into the burn zone to assess damage to their properties, while neighbors prepare in case they are ordered to leave next.

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How you can help

United Way of Northeastern Minnesota
For residents impacted in St. Louis County. It is working to establish a wildfire recovery fund. Immediate assistance is offered through its Comforts of Home program, which replaces lost items with referrals from agencies like the Red Cross and St. Louis County. All proceeds go to impacted community members.

  • Donate online:
  • Donate via mail: United Way of Northeastern Minnesota, 608 East Drive, Chisholm, MN 55719.

Head of the Lakes United Way
For residents impacted in Lake County. All proceeds go to impacted community members.

  • Donate online:
  • Donate via mail: Head of the Lakes United Way, 314 W. Superior St. #750, Duluth, MN 55802; include a note indicating “wildfire relief.”

Editors Katie Rohman, Barrett Chase and Rick Lubbers and reporters Peter Passi, Brielle Bredsten and Jimmy Lovrien contributed to this story.

This story was last updated at 10:25 a.m. May 21 with information about the status of the Camp House and Jenkins Creek fires. It was originally posted 10:32 a.m. May 15.

Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of "staff." Often, the "staff" byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.
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