Lake County posts Stewart Trail Fire debris disposal guidance

Lake County’s new Stewart Trail Fire debris-disposal notice pushed the wildfire response into the cleanup phase, where burned material now has to move through county rules, county fees and county facilities before rebuilding can advance. The county’s homepage carried the June 4 notice after officials had already lifted all evacuation zones and declared the fire 100% contained on May 19.

That shift matters because the Stewart Trail Fire left behind more than scorched ground. By May 17, officials said the blaze had burned 355 acres and destroyed 34 structures, including eight primary structures and 26 outbuildings. Lake County and fire officials also kept property owners off damaged land while burned, unstable trees and hotspots remained a safety concern, which made the county’s May 28 outreach event at Sonju Arena in Two Harbors an important first stop for people trying to sort out homes, septic systems and burned or damaged trees.

The county brought in a wide recovery team for that outreach, including Lake County departments, Minnesota DNR Forestry and Restoration, Minnesota Homeland Security and Emergency Management, the Minnesota Department of Commerce, United Way, the American Red Cross, Two Harbors Food Shelf and Justice North. Property owners who could not attend were directed to StewartTrailFireRecovery@lakecountymn.gov or to the voicemail-only line at 218-225-1712, as county officials tried to keep the recovery process organized for a rural fire zone spread along the North Shore. Lake County Emergency Management says its job covers preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation, and that wildfire is the county’s greatest natural hazard.

For the physical cleanup, Lake County is routing residents through its solid-waste system. The county’s fee schedule lists demolition and construction disposal at $15 per cubic yard for in-county loads and $43 per cubic yard for out-of-county loads. Concrete is charged at $10 per cubic yard, scrap metal is free and county staff load sorting costs $150 per yard. Lake County Solid Waste is at 601 3rd Ave. in Two Harbors, and the office phone is 218-834-8304. The county’s recycle center accepts garbage for a fee, recycling, used oil and filters, and yard waste, with additional drop-off options in Silver Bay and Ely.

The cleanup still has to avoid creating a second fire. Minnesota DNR says dead vegetation may be burned only in certain conditions, burn permits are required whenever there is less than 3 inches of snow cover, and burning without a permit is a misdemeanor. The agency also says household trash, garbage and treated lumber cannot be burned outdoors, and it recommends composting or taking debris to a yard-waste facility instead. For Stewart Trail Fire property owners, the message is clear: recovery now runs through the county landfill, not the burn pile.