Bear Trap Fire (Minnesota)

Active · 67% contained · 30,804 acres · started 2026-07-07 · updated 2026-08-26

Bear Trap Fire (Minnesota) — Sentinel-2 SWIR (fuego)

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).

Quick facts

Location: 20 Miles N from Ely, MN
Cause: Natural
Personnel: 398
Complexity: Type 2 Incident
Fuel: Closed Timber Litter
Behavior: Minimal, Smoldering, Creeping
Jurisdiction: USFS · Federal land

Burning for 50 days across St. Louis County, Minnesota, the Bear Trap Fire has expanded to 30,804 acres near Ely, maintaining an average daily growth of approximately 616 acres per day. Currently 67 percent contained, the active federal incident is managed by a Complex Incident Management Team with 418 personnel assigned and a total cost of $54,131,145.

Fire behavior is reported as minimal, smoldering, and creeping within closed timber litter on federal land overseen by the USFS, with a natural cause. Satellites are picking up a moderate heat signature from the incident, which started on July 7, 2026, and falls within the region's typical fire season spanning from June to October.

Nationwide, the wider context shows 3,068,903 hectares burned so far in 2026, marking a figure that is 44 percent below the two-decade average.

In context

This wildfire has been burning in Minnesota for 53 days. So far it has affected roughly 30,804 acres — about 125 km². About 67% of the perimeter is contained — over half is secured, though hotspots remain.

In the Northern Hemisphere, wildfire activity usually peaks during the warm, dry months — roughly May through October.