Fergus Falls firefighter leaves camping trip to battle northern Minnesota wildfires

A Fergus Falls area firefighter cut short a family camping trip to join the wildfire response in northern Minnesota as ash fell in Ely and air quality worsened across the Northland. Firefighters from Underwood and Dalton were also part of the effort, showing how quickly local crews from Otter Tail County can be pulled into a regional emergency.

As of Wednesday morning, 17 fires were still burning across the Northland and had charred about 55,000 acres. The largest concern centered near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, a 1,098,000-acre stretch of the Superior National Forest that runs nearly 150 miles along the International Boundary and includes more than 1,200 miles of canoe routes, 12 hiking trails and over 2,000 designated campsites.

The response stretched well beyond one county. Crews from multiple counties were working with the state, the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office and international partners as they tried to contain the fires and keep them away from the heavily used wilderness corridor. That kind of mutual-aid response is what draws firefighters from places like Fergus Falls, Underwood and Dalton into incidents far from home when conditions overwhelm local resources.

The fires also disrupted travel and camping in the Ely area, where evacuations moved some campers and outfitters as conditions worsened. Scouting America’s Northern Tier High Adventure Base was forced to evacuate about 200 Scouts and adult leaders, sending them to Camp Wilderness as flames and smoke spread through the region.

Ash from the fires was reported falling in Ely and elsewhere in northern Minnesota, a sign of how far the smoke and particulate matter had traveled. Air quality was affected throughout the region, adding another layer of strain for residents, visitors and the volunteer and paid departments trying to keep up with the pace of the fires.

For Otter Tail County, the response underscored how wildfire emergencies now reach beyond the immediate burn zone. When a firefighter leaves a camping trip to answer a call up north, it reflects the same network that sends local departments into neighboring counties when Minnesota’s fire season escalates.