Aircraft deployed near Bemidji as Flicker Fire sparks wildfire concern

Aircraft were working near Bemidji as the Flicker Fire put Beltrami County back on wildfire watch, with smoke, fast-changing fire behavior and burning restrictions now part of daily life in the area. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says its fire-danger and burning-restrictions maps are updated daily and refreshed every five minutes, a sign of how quickly conditions can change around the Bemidji area.

Bridger Aerospace said its CL-415EAF Super Scoopers can take on 1,412 gallons of water from lakes or rivers and drop it from low altitude, a tool that matters in a county ringed by water and thick with storm-damaged timber. The company also said its Air Attack aircraft and sensor-equipped Pilatus PC-12 can provide real-time wildfire imagery and video, giving ground crews a clearer picture when every minute counts. Federal records show Bridger Aerospace also had task orders for exclusive-use fixed-wing air attack and sensor support based in Bemidji for the 2025 and 2026 wildland fire seasons.

The fire concern in Beltrami County has been building for months. The DNR issued a Red Flag Warning for 66 Minnesota counties on April 20 because of extreme fire risk, and the agency says escaped debris fires are the No. 1 cause of wildfires in Minnesota. Officials have warned that the Bemidji area could face elevated wildfire risk for three to five years because of blowdown and storm debris left behind after severe weather felled 9 million trees in the region.

That long-term hazard has already pulled state and local leaders into Bemidji. U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar visited the area in early April to discuss wildfire prevention and recovery. Bemidji Fire Chief Justin Sherwood has said cleanup and pile burning remain important to cut the chance of a wildfire, while DNR forester Ben Lang has said the risk is elevated but not catastrophic because work was already done through the fall and winter.

Even small fires underscore how fragile the situation remains. Beltrami County logged two wildfires on April 21, both listed at 0.1 acres, with discovery times at 5:38 p.m. and 10 p.m. and causes still undetermined. For residents near Bemidji and Lake Bemidji, the next 12 to 24 hours will likely hinge on wind, smoke, burning restrictions and whether crews can keep the Flicker Fire from becoming the kind of spark that spreads through dry, debris-filled ground.