Stewart Trail Fire fully contained, Highway 61 reopens in Lake County

Highway 61 reopened to traffic in Lake County on Tuesday as the Stewart Trail Fire reached 100% containment, ending the four-day closure that had cut off the North Shore corridor between Two Harbors and Silver Bay.

The reopening restored the county’s main travel route for freight, tourism traffic and employee commutes after days of detours and restricted access. Lake County also lifted remaining evacuation orders and road closures, allowing residents and property owners to return to homes and cabins that had been out of reach since the fire broke out Friday, May 15, about 3 miles north of Two Harbors.

Officials said the blaze burned 356 acres after a later map revision, down from earlier estimates of 376 acres. The fire destroyed 34 structures, including eight primary structures such as homes or cabins and 26 outbuildings. Investigators determined the fire was caused by a power line, placing the incident in the category of infrastructure-related wildfire rather than a natural ignition.

Cooler, more humid weather and light rain helped crews push the fire to full containment, according to Minnesota Incident Command and MPR News. Even with containment declared, firefighters continued mop-up, patrol and hot-spot suppression around the burn area to make sure hidden heat did not flare back up. Lake County officials also lifted a temporary flight restriction over the fire area around the same time the highway reopened.

The change marked a shift from emergency response to recovery. County officials said incident management would soon transition from a state team to a local Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Type 4 incident commander, a sign that the immediate crisis had eased even though the burn area still required monitoring.

Governor Tim Walz visited Two Harbors on Monday, May 18, to meet with officials and responders, thanking firefighters, first responders and local leaders for the coordinated effort. He said the response showed what state, local and federal partners can do together, while noting the state had activated the Minnesota National Guard to help with wildfires elsewhere in Minnesota.

For Lake County businesses, the Highway 61 reopening was the clearest turning point. Traffic could move again through one of the North Shore’s busiest corridors, emergency detours were no longer needed and the daily flow that supports local commerce could begin to return. Still, the recovery was not finished: firefighters remained in the area, heavy equipment and emergency personnel were still possible on the roadside, and the burn scar would continue to be watched closely in the days ahead.