After Wednesday wildfire briefing, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz may extend peacetime emergency declaration

Gov. Tim Walz is set to receive a briefing on the wildfires in northern Minnesota Wednesday morning.

Walz and the Emergency Executive Council will subsequently vote on whether to extend a peacetime emergency order originally issued Sunday. The briefing is set for 9:30 a.m.

In recent days, fires have burned thousands of acres in Superior National Forest and the Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness Area, prompting evacuations of nearby communities and closures of BWCAW entry points.

As of Tuesday morning, there were 17 active wildfires in Superior National Forest, with three inside the Boundary Waters, according to the Minnesota Incident Command System.

Walz's declaration directed additional resources, including the Minnesota National Guard, to assist in battling the wildfires until Aug. 11. On Wednesday, the emergency council could extend the order by another 30 days.

While no red flag warning is in effect, the National Weather Service said "near critical fire weather conditions" could occur on Wednesday.

Much of Minnesota is also under an air quality alert through Friday as smoke from these wildfires and those in Canada gets pushed south. The state is also dealing with dangerous heat, with high temperatures in the 90s and the heat index approaching 100. An extreme heat warning is in place through Thursday evening, and WCCO has issued a NEXT Weather Alert.