Two Harbors begins recovery planning after Stewart Trail Fire

Two Harbors moved into recovery mode as the Stewart Trail Fire was fully contained, with county roads and Highway 61 reopened and officials starting the slower work of helping residents rebuild after the evacuation.

Lake County’s May 18 update marked the first controlled return for property owners in the evacuation area between Stewart River and the Silver Cliff Tunnel, where escorted access was scheduled that afternoon. County materials put the fire at 355 acres, 62% contained at that point, with 34 structures lost, including eight primary structures and 26 outbuildings, and 77 personnel assigned to the response.

By May 20, fire officials said the blaze was 100% contained at 356 acres. Highway 61 and other closed county roads had reopened, though crews stayed on scene to patrol for hot spots and smoke. The return of traffic was a major step for a corridor that had been cut off between Two Harbors and Silver Bay during the height of the fire.

The fire began Friday, May 15, about three miles north of Two Harbors along Highway 61, and investigators later determined the cause was a power line. Lake County Sheriff Nathan Stadler said property owners who lost homes or other property had begun being notified, but were not yet allowed back in at the height of the response. Officials repeatedly said there were no injuries or deaths.

The response widened beyond Lake County as Gov. Tim Walz declared a state of peacetime emergency on May 17 and mobilized the Minnesota National Guard to assist wildfire operations. The Stewart Trail Fire burned alongside the larger Flanders Fire during hot, windy, dry conditions, underscoring how quickly one local ignition can become a regional emergency.

Now the challenge is not suppression but recovery logistics: damage documentation, escorted re-entry, temporary housing questions, cleanup planning, and the practical burden of getting small businesses, commuters, and property owners back onto a normal schedule. Mayor Lew Conner said the community still needed a plan for how to help affected residents over the coming weeks, and Lake County had already released information on how people could support those hit by the fire. The fire is out, but the accounting for what was lost in Two Harbors is only beginning.