It started with a dump truck. By Friday afternoon, the fire that began in the rear of a dump truck, had grown into a 25-acre wildfire bearing down on the city of Gilbert, touching off a major emergency response and putting the surrounding community on edge.
The fire was first reported at 12:45 p.m. Friday along Highway 135. When crews arrived they found fast-moving flames pushing toward the city. What followed was a scramble involving the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the US Forest Service, local fire departments and multiple aircraft working to get ahead of the blaze.
How Did the Situation Develop?
By 3 p.m., firefighters had managed to knock the flames back, though the fire kept burning and shifted north toward unpopulated land. According to local media reports, Gilbert Fire Chief Ty Techar said in a statement that mop-up operations were underway and that the community appeared to be out of immediate danger. The south side of the fire, the side facing Gilbert, was under control. As a precaution, several fire departments remained on scene providing structure protection.
What Made This So Dangerous?
The Gilbert fire did not happen in a vacuum. St. Louis County Sheriff Gordon Ramsay said it was one of at least six fires being watched across the county at the same time. High winds, low humidity and drought conditions had stacked up to create what officials described as extreme fire danger across the region. The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning covering most of the state, including all of Northern Minnesota.
Other Fires Burning in the Region
Shortly before 4 p.m., Ramsay reported a second wildland fire had broken out near Babbitt, prompting the evacuation of a couple of homes. He said no further evacuations were needed and the city itself was not at risk at that point.
He also flagged a significant fire burning on the North Shore in Lake County, just north of Two Harbors. St. Louis County offered resources to help fight that blaze.
Meanwhile, the public has been asked to stay away from the Gilbert fire area to keep themselves safe.
