Trail Closure Announced As Northern Minnesota Wildfire Grows In Size

The Crosby Fire in George H. Crosby Manitou State Park on Minnesota's North Shore continues to grow, forcing some closures and impacts to visitors in the area.

The fire, burning in the state park between Silver Bay and Tofte, has grown to 210 acres, more than quadrupling in size since yesterday's update, when it was reported to be an estimated 50 acres.

While the Minnesota Incident Command System (MNICS) reports that progress has been made on gaining some containment on the fire, the growing blaze has prompted some closures that visitors to the area need to be aware of.

Today's MNICS report says that the fire is now 35% contained, thanks to the efforts of firefighting crews and their ongoing work in the area.

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While there has been some progress in beginning to contain the growing fire, officials have deemed it necessary to issue a closure of the Superior Hiking Trail in George H. Crosby Manitou State Park. The closure went into effect at 8 am Friday morning, and will remain closed until further notice..

The decision to close the trail was made due to changing weather conditions that will bring gusty northwest winds to the area, which could push the fire toward the popular hiking trail.

As you can see in the map below showing the closure, the SHT is closed between Caribou Falls State Wayside Rest along Minnesota State Highway 61 to the Lake County Road 7 (Cramer Road) access points. The rest of the state park remains open at this time.

A map provided by MNICS (below) shows the area impacted by the Crosby Fire. As you can see on the map, there is some pretty steep terrain in the area. That terrain, in combination with the remote location of the fire, has made firefighting efforts challenging.

Despite those challenges, progress continues to be made against the fire. Along with aerial firefighting tactics, ground crews have created what they call a handline along the northern part of the fire (noted by the black line bordering the fire).

Using tools like leafblowers to blow clean areas from leaf litter that is burning in the fire, a containment barrier is starting to be created.

Despite those challenges, crews are making progress on the fire both from the ground and from the air. Due to these aerial firefighting efforts, the public is reminded not to fly drones in the area, as they can impact or even stop firefighting efforts due to safety concerns.

Breezy conditions through the day today (Friday) will continue to fan the flames, though calmer winds are anticipated during the weekend, with rain chances possible on Sunday.