A fire burning in the Chengwatana State Forest north of the Twin Cities now encompasses about 140 acres, a spokeswoman for the Department of Natural Resources confirmed late Friday afternoon.
DNR: Fire is growing in Chengwatana State Forest in Pine County
The fire, reported Friday afternoon in the forest east of Pine City, now covers about 140 acres, the DNR said.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
October 18, 2024 at 11:02PM
“We are aware it is burning,” said Leanne Langeberg, a spokeswoman with the DNR’s Forestry Division. “We have DNR crews responding.”
The blaze, which was discovered late Thursday afternoon, was confined to a remote section of the forest in an area with marshes and heavy timber, Langeberg said. No structures were threatened, she added.
The Evergreen forest fire, about 12 miles east of Pine City along the Minnesota-Wisconsin border, broke out as gusty southerly winds and low humidity levels were creating “elevated fire weather conditions,” according to the National Weather Service in Duluth.
“Smoke may be visible north of the Snake River,” the Minnesota Incident Command Center said.
No open burning or campfires are allowed in Pine County due to the ongoing dry and windy conditions, the DNR’s fire danger map showed Friday.
Fire danger in the forest was listed as “Extreme” on the DNR’s five-level danger scale, and the “situation is explosive and can result in extensive property damage,” authorities said.
According to the DNR, fire danger across the remainder of Minnesota ranges from high to extreme. With September’s near-record warm temperatures, moderate drought has expanded through much of the state, while severe drought has emerged in parts of northern and southwestern Minnesota.
The Chengwatana State Forest coves about 29,000 acres of forested upland islands surrounded by marsh and brush. Three rivers — the Kettle, Snake and St. Croix — flow through the forest, according to the DNR.
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The fire, reported Friday afternoon in the forest east of Pine City, now covers about 140 acres, the DNR said.
