Wildfire — Central St. Louis, Minnesota
May 12, 2025 · NOAA Storm Events record
Event narrative (NOAA)
The Jenkins Creek Fire ignited on Monday, May 12, 2025, around 1PM local time. It was detected east of County Road 110 and north of County Road 16 near Jenkins Creek, approximately 15 miles southeast of Hoyt Lakes, Minnesota. It was believed to have been started by a discarded cigarette from a passing vehicle. The fire rapidly expanded due to hot temperatures, low relative humidity, and strong south winds, burning through mixed boreal forest and grassy ground cover, including areas heavily infested by spruce budworm, which contributed to the fire's intensity.||The fire initially exhibited extreme behavior, including crown fires and rapid spread through dense forested areas. The presence of dead and dying trees, particularly those affected by spruce budworm infestations, provided ample fuel
Source: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database. Deaths and injuries are those NOAA classifies as direct. Damage is the reporting office's estimate at the time and is not inflation-adjusted. This is a catalogue record, not a forecast.