Minnesota governor mobilizes National Guard to battle wildfires in northern part of state

By Erwin Seba

July 12 – Minnesota Governor Tim Walz mobilized state National Guard troops on Sunday to battle wildfires on the state’s northern border with Canada. 

The fires have covered more than 800 acres in five days and are yet to be contained, according to a Minnesota state website. They are among the latest in a swath of fires that have raged across the United States due to hot, dry conditions driven by an El Nino weather pattern across the continent.

“I’ve declared a peacetime emergency and mobilized the National Guard to assist with wildfire response in northern Minnesota,” said Walz, a Democrat. “Minnesotans extend our deepest gratitude to all of the first responders working 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 in the summer. Park rangers have been escorting visitors out of the park over the weekend, according to the Minnesota Natural Resources Department website. 

High temperatures over the weekend increased the fire risk, according to the National Weather Service. 

(Editing by Nia Williams)

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