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A National Incident Management Organization (NIMO) Team is managing the Jenkins Creek and Horse River fires under a full suppression strategy. Ensuring public and firefighter safety remains a primary priority.

The Burned Area Emergency Response Team will continue their assessment of the potential impacts of the Jenkins Creek fire to affected watersheds.

This afternoon will begin a moderation of fire weather that will extend through the weekend. Today and tomorrow will bring a chance of showers. The probability of significant rainfall begins Saturday evening and will likely persist through Sunday.

Jenkins Creek Fire Quick Facts

Size: 16,145 acres                               Containment:94%                 Personnel: 204

Yesterday, areas of heat located by the Unmanned Aerial System (UAS/drone) flights resulted in the location of hot spots that were within the interior of the fire. Crews determined that these interior sources of heat posed no threat to the integrity of the perimeter and chose not to engage in suppression of these heat sources. The crews continue this deliberate approach to suppression of hot spots, making the decision to enter the interior of the fire when safe to do so. The UAS crews will continue to fly the perimeter of the fire at night to identify remaining heat signatures. An additional UAS crew will continue to map the fire perimeter during the day. Today’s increase in acreage is not related to fire growth, but is due to the improved mapping provided by UAS flights and crews surveying the perimeter.

Horse River Fire Quick Facts

Size: 13 acres                                      Containment: 0%                   Personnel: 26

Crews in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness were unable to locate any active heat within the perimeter of the Horse River Fire for the second consecutive day. Today, they will continue to methodically work their way along the perimeter and within the interior of the Horse River Fire to locate and suppress any remaining sources of heat. Crews will continue to collect GPS coordinates of the fire perimeter to improve mapping of the fire.

Fire Weather & Behavior:  Beginning this afternoon we’ll see a trend toward more moderate fire weather that is likely to extend into the weekend. This afternoon will bring a slight chance of showers with temperatures in the low 70s, humidity between 25 – 35%, and light winds out of the west. The chance of rain continues into Thursday night and again Friday. A front bringing a solid chance of significant rain should enter the area Saturday evening and stay in the area through Sunday. These conditions should diminish fire behavior on the Jenkins Creek and Horse River Fires.

FireWise: Approximately 15-30% of homes in Minnesota are in the wildland-urban interface (WUI), an area where homes are interspersed in fire adapted landscapes, meaning that these homes occur in a place where wildfires are a historic and recurring feature of the landscape. Being resilient to wildfire requires the maintenance of ‘defensible space,’ usually defined as a 30-foot perimeter around a structure that is cleared of brush or vegetation. Minnesota has adopted the National FireWise Program and the Minnesota Firewise Program works with homeowners and communities to build resilience to wildfires. Be wise, be FireWise.