Bear Trap Fire (MN)

Active · 0% contained · 13,500 acres · started 2026-07-07 · updated 2026-07-15

True color Fire (SWIR)

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True color (left): as the eye sees it.
Infrared / SWIR (right): sees through smoke.

🟢 green = vegetation
🟤 red/brown = burned
🟠 orange = active fire

Imagery: Sentinel-2 (Copernicus). Drag to compare smoke vs. infrared.

Heat detections: NASA FIRMS (last 48h).

The Bear Trap Fire, currently burning 20 miles north of Ely in St. Louis County, Minnesota, has maintained an aggressive trajectory over its eight-day duration. Expanding at an average rate of approximately 1,688 acres per day, the blaze has consumed 13,500 acres of federal timberland. Satellite data from NASA FIRMS confirms the fire's intensity, recording 143 heat detections within the last 48 hours, highlighting significant ongoing activity in the region.

The fire, which originated from natural causes on July 7, 2026, is currently exhibiting extreme behavior, including crowning, torching, and spotting within the heavy timber litter and understory. Managed by the USFS as a Type 4 incident, the fire remains at zero percent containment. Operations have incurred approximately $10,000 in costs as crews address the complexities of this active wildfire.