Minnesota Governor Tim Walz Announces End of Peacetime Wildfire Emergency

Minnesota’s peacetime emergency declared for the northern wildfires will expire on Tuesday, Aug. 11, Governor Tim Walz said. The emergency was triggered after lightning ignited multiple fires that burned about 65,000 acres, including the Bear Trap fire, which at its peak had consumed nearly 38,000 acres and was 40% contained.

At the height of the response up to 2,400 firefighters, aircraft and other resources were deployed. Recent rain has dampened the flames and fire danger is now low to moderate across most of the state, though hot spots remain in the Superior National Forest and restrictions on burning persist in the northeast.

Walz indicated there will be no extension of the emergency and that focus is shifting to recovery. He urged lawmakers to begin drafting a relief package for affected communities, noting that a special legislative session is unlikely during the campaign season. Damage assessments will continue in the coming weeks, and resources could be re‑mobilized within 48 hours if conditions worsen as the fall fire season approaches.