Minnesota governor mobilizes National Guard to battle wildfires in northern part of state
By Erwin Seba
July 12 – Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz mobilized state National Guard troops Sunday to fight wildfires along the state’s northern border with Canada.
According to the Minnesota state website, the fires have covered more than 800 acres in five days and are yet to be brought under control. They are among the latest in a series of fires to ravage the United States due to hot, dry conditions caused by the continent’s El Niño weather pattern.
“I declared a peacetime emergency and mobilized the National Guard to assist in responding to the wildfire in Northern Minnesota,” Walz, a Democrat, said. “Minnesotans express our deepest gratitude to first responders who work around the clock to keep their neighbors safe.”
A total of 16 fires are burning in the Superior National Forest in northern Minnesota, which normally attracts about 150,000 visitors during the summer months. Park rangers are escorting visitors out of the park throughout the weekend, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources website.
High temperatures over the weekend increased the risk of fire, according to the National Weather Service.
(Editing by Nia Williams)
