Wildfire smoke disrupts flights, closes attractions in northern Minnesota

Wildfire smoke pushed into Duluth International Airport, closed Spirit Mountain and limited access at Split Rock Lighthouse State Park as the North Shore’s fire emergency spread from the woods into travel and tourism. St. Louis County declared both a State of Local Emergency and a State of Local Disaster after wildfire damage and the strain on public resources, while the U.S. Forest Service said at least 17 fires were burning across the region. Near Duluth, smoke reached a new state record, and air quality alerts widened across most of Minnesota as hazardous conditions were expected to continue.

At Duluth International Airport, the smoke disrupted flights at the region’s main air gateway, creating a ripple effect for passengers trying to move in and out of northeast Minnesota. Even when aircraft can still operate safely, heavy haze can slow schedules, force delays and push travelers into last-minute changes, a problem that quickly reaches business trips, family vacations and summer visitor traffic tied to Duluth and the North Shore.

The impact extended beyond the runway. Spirit Mountain closed, cutting off one of Duluth’s best-known recreation destinations during the heart of the summer season. Split Rock Lighthouse State Park, a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources site on the North Shore, was limiting access as smoke and fire conditions tightened across the corridor that draws travelers to the Lake Superior shore.

The broader emergency was still building across Superior National Forest and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The Forest Service had already closed access to parts of the Boundary Waters and banned campfires, and BWCA entry permits were canceled through Sunday. WDIO reported that multiple wildfires were still burning in the Superior National Forest and the Boundary Waters, showing how the smoke reaching Duluth-area landmarks was tied to a much larger fire complex inland.

The official Superior National Forest wildfire information line is 218-881-2091. With hazardous smoke lingering and air alerts lasting through Friday, the disruptions were not limited to what people could see in the sky; they were altering how residents, visitors and seasonal businesses moved through northern Minnesota.