Three wildfires in northeastern Minnesota continued to spread Wednesday, with one of them more than tripling in size, and another prompting a new evacuation order. However, conditions were gradually improving as winds eased and forecasters predicted cooler temperatures and showers and thunderstorms.

The Jenkins Creek Fire east of Hoyt Lakes jumped from 6,800 acres Tuesday to 20,593 acres Wednesday morning, according to authorities.

The Munger Shaw Fire northwest of Duluth grew another 100 acres since Tuesday and had burned a total 1,700 acres as of Wednesday morning. On Wednesday afternoon, the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office posted an evacuation order in the Cotton area.

The Camp House Fire near Brimson had burned nearly 15,000 acres as of Wednesday morning, up from about 11,800 on Tuesday.

The Camp House ignited Sunday, and the Jenkins Creek and Munger Shaw were sparked Monday as dry conditions and gusty winds created a critical wildfire threat in northeastern Minnesota forests that have suffered defoliation caused by the spruce budworm.

All thee fires had zero containment Wednesday. Their causes remained under investigation.‘The ready stage’

East Range Police Chief Jorden Klovstad told the Duluth News Tribune that Hoyt Lakes is “in the ready stage,” should the fire get close enough to warrant a partial evacuation. Klovstad said he is relying on the U.S. Forest Service and St. Louis County emergency management for updates and risk assessments.

The local police department has been receiving calls from concerned residents.

“It’s so easy for people to panic. But we don’t need to act on assumptions. We’ll make decisions based on the facts,” Klovstad said. “We’re all working together to keep everyone informed. It’s not like a tornado. People will have advance notice if they need to move.”

While Klovstad did not wish to discuss details prematurely, he said shelter space has been identified and will be prepared, if needed, “for people with no place else to go.” He said plenty of transportation assistance should be available.

If an evacuation is necessary, Klovstad advised folks to focus on the safety of their pets, important paperwork and daily essentials, such as medicines, as they assemble a “go” bag.

St. Louis County Sheriff Gordon Ramsay said in a Facebook video that while the weather and the fires are not 100% predictable, a forecast wind shift should keep the fire away from Hoyt Lakes.

The National Weather Service in Duluth reported that rain in the Wednesday forecast may help prevent conditions from worsening, but might not help the firefighting efforts much. “There will be some isolated showers and storms possible in the afternoon hours but impactful precipitation is not expected,” NWS said.

Thursday and Thursday night, however, may bring larger storms. The chance of rain lingers into Saturday. This should keep the relative humidity from dropping as low as it has been for the past several days. Winds will switch to the east, changing the trajectory of the fire.

Ramsay warned that lightning accompanying predicted storms could pose an issue.

Ramsay also said that some 150 structures, including homes and cabins, have been destroyed by the Camp House Fire near Brimson, “and that number is actively growing.”

More structures have been lost in the Jenkins Creek area, he said, but the fire was too active Tuesday night for crews to get any further details.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office announced that it would not be reporting publicly on the locations of potential structure damage, “in an effort to protect privacy.” The sheriff’s office will contact the impacted landowners directly. They said to contact Matt Pollmann with any questions at 773-844-6449.

Ramsay said the U.S. Forest Service has established a public hotline at 218-206-6805 for questions about the Brimson Complex fires, which the Camp House and Jenkins Creek fires are now being called.

“Investigations are ongoing for all three wildfires in St. Louis County, while fire crews continue to focus on full suppression efforts,” the Minnesota Incident Command System reported on Facebook late Wednesday morning.

Wildfire evacuation centers are available for residents affected by current evacuation orders.

St. Louis County Public Health and the American Red Cross opened a shelter at the Fredenberg Community Center, 5104 Fish Lake Road, in Duluth.

A second center, Cotton Community Center, 9087 U.S. 53, is serving as an evacuation point for the Munger Shaw Fire area.

“These centers are a place where you can meet with representatives from the American Red Cross and St. Louis County Public Health to get help and learn about resources available for you,” and will provide food and phone-charging opportunities, the county reported.

For evacuation orders in St. Louis County, go to its “ready, set, go!” zone map. The color-coded map shows which evacuation advisories are in effect, denoted in yellow, orange or red, and how residents should prepare themselves and their property.

Lake County residents must use that county’s “ready, set go!” zone map.

The U.S. Forest Service has closed a portion of the Laurentian Ranger District, prohibiting visitor entry at campsites, recreation sites, trails, roads and lakes within specified areas.

“These emergency restrictions are necessary for the public’s health and safety due to wildland fires in the vicinity of the affected lands, roads, waters, trails, and all recreation sites,” the closure order reads. “These restrictions will remain in effect for as long as they are posted on-site and until terminated by the forest supervisor.”

Air and ground crews from across the U.S. and Ontario have arrived in northeastern Minnesota, with more on the way, state officials said Tuesday.

At a St. Paul news conference, Gov. Tim Walz noted that Minnesota usually experiences, on average, a little over 1,100 wildfires per year. The state has seen 970 fires on more than 37,000 acres so far in 2025.

“Last night, a lot of our firefighters (were) out there with no sleep, and pretty dangerous conditions out there,” he said Tuesday.

No injuries have been reported with any of the wildfires.