A wildfire is burning near Barnum, Minnesota and wildland firefighters and aircraft are responding near the crossroads of county roads 8 and 11 in Carlton County. That is close to the Dye State Wildlife Management Area.
The County Road 11 fire was discovered Monday evening in a swamp marshland area. It has grown to an estimated 40 acres according to Carlton County, and there are structures threatened.
The cause of the fire has not been determined but much of Minnesota is dry and under varying levels of drought conditions. Carlton County, where this fire is located, is listed as under "Extreme Drought" according to the latest information from the U.S. Drought Monitor released last week.
Firefighting resources from the Minnesota DNR and four local fire departments – Barnum, Moose Lake, Black Hoof, and Carlton – have responded. The Minnesota DNR requested water-dropping aircraft support last evening to help cool and slow down fire activity threatening nearby structures.
They say the fire was sill active this morning and aircraft resources were recalled back to the fire to support ongoing fire suppression efforts.
As of now, no evacuations have been ordered, and no road closures are in effect. Anyone traveling along County Roads 8 and 11 are being told to slow down and follow all state and local laws that protect emergency responders working along roadways to ensure the safety of the firefighters in the area.