Stewart Trail fire burns 34 structures

Lake County officials said on Sunday that the Stewart Trail Fire northeast of Two Harbors had destroyed 34 structures as firefighters worked to contain the wildfire and some evacuees were allowed to return. The fire started on Friday, May 15, about 3 miles north of Two Harbors and had reached 355 acres by Sunday afternoon, according to Lake County and the Minnesota Incident Command System. Highway 61 remained closed to through traffic between the Stewart River and the Silver Cliff Tunnel, even as officials reduced part of the evacuation zone. No injuries or deaths had been reported as of the latest public updates. ### Which buildings were destroyed? Lake County said 34 structures were lost, including eight primary structures and 26 outbuildings, in a Sunday afternoon update posted by Emergency Manager Warren LaPlante. MPR News reported Lake County Sheriff Nathan Stadler announced the same damage count at a Saturday evening news conference. MPR News said the primary structures included homes. (co.lake.mn.us) Officials have continued damage assessment work since the fire moved rapidly through the area on Friday amid dry conditions and strong winds. ### Where is the fire and how large is it? The Stewart Trail Fire was listed at 355 acres on Sunday and was burning along the North Shore northeast of Two Harbors, near Highway 61. (co.lake.mn.us) Lake County’s Sunday update said the fire origin was about 3 miles north of Two Harbors in Lake County. Mike Hill, the incident commander with the Minnesota Incident Command System, told MPR News on Sunday that the fire had not grown since Saturday. (mprnews.org) MPR News reported the fire was 62% contained as of Sunday night, while Lake County’s 3:50 p.m. Sunday update listed containment at 30%, indicating conditions were still being updated over the course of the day. (co.lake.mn.us) ### Why is Highway 61 still closed? Highway 61 remained closed to through traffic between the Stewart River and the Silver Cliff Tunnel on Sunday, Lake County said. Officials said portions of the highway would reopen for local traffic returning to homes in areas no longer under evacuation orders. Lake County Sheriff Nathan Stadler said on Saturday that damaged trees left standing inside the burn area were one reason evacuations and the highway closure remained in place. (mprnews.org) MPR News reported officials were concerned those trees could fall in gusty winds. ### Who is still under evacuation orders? Lake County said on Sunday that the evacuation zone had been reduced based on the fire’s size, status and behavior. (co.lake.mn.us) Areas removed from the active evacuation zone were shifted to “SET” status, meaning residents should remain prepared to leave again if conditions change. MPR News reported an evacuation order was still in place northeast of Two Harbors on Monday morning. (mprnews.org) The county directed residents to review an updated evacuation map on its website to determine the status of their area. ### What are firefighters doing now? Lake County said firefighters strengthened control lines on Sunday, built a two-blade-wide dozer line on the western side, cold-trailed the southern hand line and responded to a spot fire on the northeastern corner. (co.lake.mn.us) The county said aircraft and ground crews were used to limit spread despite high winds and elevated fire danger. Mike Hill told MPR News that aircraft helped crews buy time and safely place firefighters on the ground to follow up with hand work and bulldozing. (mprnews.org) He described the fire on Sunday as “smoldering” and said crews were moving into mop-up, patrol and recovery work as conditions improved. ### What happens next for residents? (co.lake.mn.us) Lake County said the fire information line was operating from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and the county posted updated evacuation maps and road information online on Sunday. Officials said motorists should continue using posted detours and avoid the fire area so emergency crews can keep working safely. Monday morning, MPR News reported that Highway 61 was still closed between Two Harbors and Silver Bay and that an evacuation order remained in place for part of the area. (mprnews.org) Lake County and the Minnesota Incident Command System said further updates would depend on fire behavior, containment work and ongoing assessment of damaged properties and road hazards. (co.lake.mn.us)