Bullet strikes firefighting plane battling wildfire near Orr, sheriff says

A firefighting plane working a wildland blaze near Orr was struck by what appears to be a bullet Friday evening, a hit that could have interrupted air support as crews fought to keep flames from spreading toward homes, cabins and roads in northeastern Minnesota.

The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office said the response began around 4 p.m. in Portage Township, about 15 miles north of Orr, when deputies, fire crews and two fire suppression aircraft were sent to the fire. One of the single-engine Air Tractor planes, operating under contract with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, was later struck around 7 p.m. while scooping water from Kjostad Lake.

The aircraft landed safely at Hibbing Airport, where damage consistent with a bullet strike was found after it returned from the fire. The pilot was not injured. Sheriff Gordon Ramsay said investigators are seeking the person or people responsible and asked anyone with information to call 911 and reference case No. 26066433. Callers may remain anonymous.

The strike landed in the middle of a volatile stretch for northeastern Minnesota, where firefighters were already working multiple wildfires on the ground and from the air. Local officials said residents faced evacuations and road closures as crews tried to contain the spread in St. Louis County and surrounding areas.

The broader fire emergency has put severe strain on the region for weeks. Earlier wildfire reports said fires in St. Louis County had burned more than 30,000 acres and destroyed more than 150 structures, leaving suppression crews, emergency responders and nearby communities on edge as dry conditions kept the threat high.

A bullet strike on a firefighting aircraft raises immediate safety concerns for the crew inside the plane and for the people depending on it below. Every aircraft grounded for inspection can slow the pace of water drops and give a fire more room to move, especially when multiple blazes are burning at once and ground crews are already stretched thin.