Evacuation orders lifted for parts of northern Minnesota as crews continue battling wildfires

Officials in northern Minnesota say some residents will be allowed to return to their homes as wildfire conditions improve.

All but three evacuation zones currently in "go" status will be improved to "set status starting at 7 p.m. Sunday. Additionally, all St. Louis County zones that had been in "set" status will improve to "ready," while all zones in "ready" will no longer have an evacuation status, according to the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office.

Zones 200 and 201 along the Cloquet Line and Zone 100 along the Echo Trail remain in the "go" evacuation status.

Officials say people should remain alert, as evacuation orders on short notice are still a possibility if conditions change.

Over 64,000 acres have burned in the United States since the fire began earlier this month. The Bear Trap fire, which covers approximately 37,837 acres, is 38% contained. The Little Knife fire has burned nearly 5,000 acres and is also 38% contained. The Thumb fire, totaling more than 17,000 acres, is 56% contained as of Sunday.

Portions of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness are expected to reopen for day use starting Monday after wildfires prompted a rare closure of the forest last week.

The video above originally aired on July 21, 2026.