Evergreen Forest Fire fully contained, closures lifted: Officials

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Published  November 1, 2024 3:59pm CDT
FOX 9

A map of the area of closure in the Chengwatana State Forest. Map courtesy of the Minnesota DNR.

The Brief

    • A fire in the Evergreen Forest within the Chengwatana State Forest began on Thursday, Oct. 17, and spread to a wildfire.
    • Roughly 4,500 acres of the forest located in Pine and Chisago counties were closed as officials worked on containment during the following weeks.
    • Officials now say the fire is 100% contained, and all closures have been lifted.

PINE CITY, Minn. (FOX 9) - A forest fire in east central Minnesota that spanned 167 acres across the Evergreen Forest is now fully contained, according to updates from officials tasked with fighting the blaze.

What we know

According to the update provided on Nov. 1, the wildfire in the Evergreen Forest – located within the Chengwatana State Forest – has reached full containment.

Officials are crediting both the hard work of responders, and a mixture of rain and snow that blanketed the area on Halloween for crews being able to put the fire out.

The emergency closure order that blocked access to several areas has since been lifted, and all the Chengwatana State Forest is now open.

However, due to the fire suppression activities, officials warn that access to some roads could be in rough conditions, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

What we don’t’ know

Officials have still not determined the cause of the fire, which is still under investigation.

The Source

  • FOX 9 used official updates from the Minnesota DNR and Minnesota Incident Command System to compile this report.