About 70% of Minnesota is covered by forest land. The Laurentian Mixed Forest (LMF) with mixed hardwood and conifers covers a little more than 23 million acres of the northeastern part of the state. The Eastern Broadleaf Forest (EBF) covers nearly 12 million acres of the central and southeastern parts of the state.
Because of this abundance of trees, Minnesota is very prone to forest fires (also referred to as “wildfires”). Most major forest fires in Minnesota history have occurred in the northeastern part of the country. The following is a listing of the largest forest fires beginning in the 18th century.
|
Rank
|
Year |
Size (acres)
|
Name | Location | Fatalities | Cause |
|
1
|
1894 |
350,000
|
Hinckley Fire | Hinckley, MN | Killed 418 people and destroyed 12 towns | Drought, small brush fires |
|
2
|
1910 |
300,000
|
Baudette-Spooner Fire | Baudette-Spooner, MN | Killed 42 people | Drought, sparks from trains, small brush fires |
|
3
|
1863 |
275,000
|
Alice-Saganaga Fire | BWCA, Minnesota | Lightning | |
|
4
|
1918 |
250,000
|
Cloquet-Moose Lake Fire | Cloquet-Moose Lake, MN | Killed 452 people and destroyed 10 towns | Drought, sparks from trains |
|
5
|
1875 |
175,000
|
Insula-Ogishkemuncie Fire | BWCA, Minnesota | Lightning | |
|
6
|
1755 |
160,000
|
Lac La Croix Fire | BWCA, Minnesota, Canada | Lightning | |
|
7
|
1894 |
130,000
|
Lac La Croix Fire | BWCA, Minnesota | Lightning | |
|
8
|
1864 |
110,000
|
Little Sioux Fire | BWCA, Minnesota, Canada | Lightning | |
|
9
|
1727 |
100,000
|
Sawbill-Winchell Fire | BWCA, Minnesota | Lightning | |
|
10*
|
2011 |
93,000
|
Pagami Creek Fire | East of Ely, MN | Drought, lightning | |
|
11
|
1801 |
80,000
|
Saganaga Lake Fire | BWCA, Minnesota, Canada | Lightning | |
|
12
|
2007 |
76,000
|
Ham Lake Fire | BWCA, Minnesota, Canada | No fatalities | Campfire |
* The Pagami Creek Fire is still burning on publish date (September 28, 2011) and was 61 percent contained. (source: inciweb.org)
Sources: Minnesota DNR, BWCAWiki, Star-Tribune.com