Stewart Trail Update
Sunday, May 17, 2026
MNICS Team A, Incident Commander Mike Hill
Online: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/mnmns-stewart-trail
Fire Information Line: 218-216-6884, 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM Email: 2026.StewartTrail@firenet.gov Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mnics.org
Stewart Trail Fire Quick Facts
Size: 355 acres Origin: 3 miles north of Two Harbors, Minnesota County: Lake Start Date: May 15, 2026
Cause: Under Investigation Containment: 30% Structures Lost: 34, including 8 primary and 26 outbuildings
Total Personnel: 77
Today’s Highlight: Firefighters quickly responded with aircraft and ground crews to a spot fire along the northern perimeter, limiting fire spread even with the high winds and increased fire danger yesterday afternoon.
Operations: Firefighters assessed and strengthened the control lines. This included creating a Two-blade wide dozer line along the western side and cold trailing around the southern hand line, which means they checked for heat and wet down the area. Firefighters worked to contain a spot fire on the northeastern corner of the fire. Numerous aircraft provided water drops. Firefighters were able to get a better assessment of the fire size, and the acreage has been updated to 355 acres. Local fire departments worked on structure protection by mopping up to remove any hot spots within 50 feet around each structure. Crews continued containment and monitoring overnight, watching for flare-ups and areas of heat throughout the entire area.
Planned Activity: Crews continue to strengthen the dozer line and add hose line to areas along the northern perimeter. Structure protection will continue, and crews will increase the area around structures by doing mop-up and removing hot spots 100 feet or more around each structure.
Aircraft will continue to provide assistance with water and fire-retardant drops. A temporary flight restriction (TFR) is in place. A TFR restricts aircraft from entering the designated area to ensure safety during firefighting operations. Do not fly unauthorized drones near the Stewart Trail Fire. Remember – If you fly, we can’t!
Closures: Due to impacts from heavy smoke and firefighting resources, U.S. Highway 61 is closed at County Highway 2 in Two Harbors and at County Highway 106 (West Castle Danger Road) in Castle Danger, Minnesota. A detour has been set up from Silver Bay to Two Harbors for those who need to travel around the area. For more information, people can visit http://511mn.org for updates from MNDOT.
The public is asked to follow the detour around Highway 61 and stay out of the closure area for their safety.
Evacuations: Lake County has implemented the Ready, Set, Go notification plan. Current evacuation information can be referenced on the Lake County Fire Evacuation | Lake County Atlas Parcel Viewer.
Weather: Today, temperatures will be in the upper 40s. The humidity is higher today, around 58 percent. Winds shift to easterly today and will increase with speeds around 8 -17 mph in the morning and 18-21 with wind gusts of 30-35 late afternoon. Rain showers and storms are predicted to bring ¾ – 1 inch of precipitation late afternoon.