Flanders Fire Update: Over 1,600 Acres, 20% Contained On Monday

In an update on Monday morning (May 18), Minnesota Incident Command provided new details on the 1,600+ acre fire that broke out on Saturday afternoon, calling the situation still "dynamic" with some containment being reported.

Despite those "dynamic" conditions, there is some positive news in terms of the evacuation area and road closures related to the incident.

The cause of the Flanders Fire, about 10 miles east of Breezy Point and about 5 miles southeast of Crosslake in Mission Township, is still under investigation.

As of Monday morning, the fire has impacted 1,666 acres of land just east of Flanders Lake, having crossed County Road 11 and crossed the Pine River, impacting areas just east of the river as the fire spread on Saturday.

Wildfire.gov

As of Monday morning, the fire is 20% contained, thanks to ongoing efforts from firefighting crews building containment lines and local fire departments helping with the protection of structures in the area.

While there was a chance of rain on Sunday night, officials on the scene say precipitation was limited, saying fire conditions "remain dynamic" and crews are continuing to work on suppression efforts.

Plans to reopen County Road 11 to public use were in place for around noon today, but this is contingent on conditions near the road. Officials remind the public that firefighting efforts are still actively underway in the area, so you should avoid using the road unless necessary. Coming just to observe the scene or firefighting efforts is not advised.

If you are passing through, you are asked to be mindful of crews and avoid lingering to cause blockages as crews continue to move around the area.

Evacuation zones still remain in effect, and continue to be the same area and status they have been throughout much of the weekend.

Evacuation Map | City of Crosslake

Minnesota Incident Command says Monday's efforts will continue to be mop-up work and improving and securing fire lines to expand containment of this fire beyond the current 20% containment as of this morning.

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Crews will also be assessing road corridors and affected structures for hazard trees, with local fire departments continuing to provide structure protection as needed.

With the impacted area of this fire now being over 1,600 acres, it is one of the largest wildfires in recent years across Minnesota. Here's how it ranks compared to other large fires in recent years.

The Largest Minnesota Wildfires In Modern History

While Minnesota has experienced even larger, more devastating fires like the 350,00-acre Hinckley Fire in 1884 of the 250,000-acre Cloquet-Moose Lake Fire in 1918, fires have thankfully been relatively smaller in more modern times.

Even though these more modern fires have been smaller, largely due to better firefighting capabilities, many have still been devastating and destructive. Here's a look at Minnesota's largest wildfires since 2007 based on information from the Minnesota Incident Command System.

Gallery Credit: Nick Cooper