Air Quality Alert 07/28/2025 DULUTH, Min.- The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has issued an air quality alert for the northern half of Minnesota. Northwesterly winds will transport heavy surface smoke from wildfires across Manitoba and Saskatchewan into northern Minnesota, beginning Tuesday morning. Smoke will spread south into central Minnesota through the day Tuesday and may continue into southern Minnesota overnight…
Air Quality Alert 07/23/2025 DULUTH, Minn. – The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has expanded the current air quality alert. Nearly all of Minnesota north of St. Cloud is now in the new Red or “Unhealthy” Air Alert. The affected area includes the International Falls, Two Harbors, Hibbing, Ely and Duluth. It is in effect until Friday July 25, 2025 at 11…
DULUTH, Minn. – A section of the Munger State Trail close to the Buffalo House restaurant is expected to be closed until later this winter. It’s closed to replace a failing culvert. There is no designated detour available, so trail users should plan accordingly. Munger Trail Closed 07/17/25 Recent heavy rainfall has caused severe soil erosion around the culvert located at…
DULUTH, Minn. & ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has issued an air quality alert for all of Minnesota. The alert runs until 9 a.m. on Monday, July 14, 2025. The highest levels of alert are for Northern Minnesota. That includes the areas to the north of the Alexandria, St Cloud, and Hinkley. Heavy ground-level smoke from…
SUPERIOR, Wis. — A mama duck recently hatched ducklings in the courtyard at Essentia Health in Superior. But because it’s enclosed, the only way out is to prop open a few doors and let her do the rest by guiding her babies to safety. Melissa Walrath and her fellow co-workers in Outpatient Surgery took this video. Melissa says this is…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – “Disappointing blow.” Those are the words from the Duluth Seaway Port Authority about the shutdown of one of the Twin Ports oldest and largest grain shippers. Employees at the CHS Superior Terminal told FOX 21 they were notified Thursday that they will be out of a job on Sept. 8. The grain facility has been operating at…
WASHINGTON, DC – Representatives Tom Tiffany (WI-07) and Pete Stauber (MN-08) along with other members of Congress sent a letter to Canada’s Ambassador. Rep. Tom Tiffany (R) Wisconsin It urged stronger forest management practices to mitigate wildfire risk after consecutive years of heavy smoke blowing south from Canada to Minnesota and Wisconsin. It read in part, “We know a key…
Spongy Moth spraying plane DULUTH, Minn. & ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is preparing to do aerially spraying across parts of Aitkin, Carlton, Itasca, Pine, and St. Louis counties to slow the spread of Spongy Moth. There will be 24 sites sprayed across the area. The Spongy Moth is a destructive invasive forest pest. The spray…
Photo CourtesyMinnesota National Guard DULUTH, Minn. – St. Louis County Environmental Services is opening a temporary solid waste collection site in the Brimson-area to dispose of materials damaged by recent wildfires. The collection site will be at the old County garage, 3115 Highway 44 in Brimson. This site is for wildfire debris only. Beginning Monday, July 7, the site will…
CLOQUET, Minn. – The Grow Your Own Shiitake Mushrooms Workshop was held at the Cloquet Public Library People met inside the library to learn about shiitake mushrooms and how to grow them at home through a hands-on demonstration from a local educator and mushroom grower. The demonstration taught attendees how to start a shiitake mushroom log, what supplies are…
CARLTON COUNTY, Minn. – The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has confirmed Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) has been found in new areas of Carlton County. Emerald Ash Borer in hand It was discovered near Holyoke, Sawyer, and Wrenshall. The MDA is enacting emergency quarantines in Carlton. The quarantine excludes the Fond du Lac Reservation. The quarantine limits the movement of…
Courtesy: Associated Press MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Tens of millions of people across the Midwest and East endured dangerously hot temperatures again on Sunday as a rare June heat wave that gripped much of the U.S. was expected to last well into this week. Most of the northeastern quadrant of the country from Minnesota to Maine was under some type…
DULUTH, Minn. – A Lake Superior Zoo Alaskan Coastal Brown Bear will become a ground breaker. Tundra, an Alaskan Coastal brown bear, will become the first bear in the world to have a metal crown placement. Dr. Grace Brown, board certified veterinary dentist, recently repaired a tooth for Tundra. Dr. Brown will be installing a talladium crown made by Scott…
DULUTH, Minn. – Locals strapped on their helmets and toured the St. Louis River this evening. Community members were invited to participate in biking the Cross-City Trail, which consisted of a 4-mile round-trip tour put on by the St. Louis River Alliance. The bike tour showcased the natural beauty of the St. Louis River while teaching locals about the areas…
BROOKSTON, Minn.– The Fond du Lac Reservation in Brookston is celebrating the completion of its newest biomass heating facility. The project has been a work in progress since 2011. And one official told FOX 21, this brought the opportunity to introduce updated technology. The biomass heating facility is now using woodchips from Fon du Lac Forestry to power its heat. “Well,…
SUPERIOR, Wis. — Goats are hard at work cleaning up Billings Park! The goats are from Regenerative Ruminants, which is the herbicide alternative land management run by Drifty Acres Farm in Poplar. They’ve been grazing on Buckthorn, an invasive species that have been overtaking native plants in the park for over a decade. The goats will munch down the buckthorn,…
DULUTH, Minn. — Employees from the Duluth’s EPA Lab spoke at Monday night’s council meeting about fears of DOGE cuts shutting down their facility. The president of the American Federal of Government Employees (AFGE) and Duluth EPA employees spoke before the Duluth City Council on the possibility of the facility’s closure. DOGE cuts has asked Office of Research (ORD) scientists…
DULUTH, Minn. – The completion of the Perch Lake Habitat Restoration Project is celebrated, marking a major milestone in improving fish and wildlife habitat. Members of the community joined state and local leaders in celebrating the Perch Lake habitat restoration project along Highway 23 near Gary-New Duluth. The project consisted of dredging and associated site restoration, the installation of…
ASHLAND, Wis. — After the closure of Northland College, the Mary Griggs Burke Center for Freshwater Innovation found a new home under a new identity. The Mary Griggs Burke Center for Freshwater Innovation has now transformed into the Burke Center for Ecosystem Research. The non-profit research facility has expanded to allow non-water research, allowing some Northland faculty to join the…
DULUTH, Minn. — An air quality alert has been released across Minn. as wildfire smoke makes its way throughout the state. Due to wildfire smoke drifting from Canada, the entire state of Minn. has been issued an air quality alert by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. This alert will remain in effect until noon on Wednesday, June 4, as the…
DULUTH, Minn. — Two local businesses and the City of Duluth teamed up to plant trees near Lester Creek today. Over 1,000 native white and red pine saplings were planted by volunteers in an effort to restore forested areas. This will decrease erosion and carbon emission all while increasing biodiversity in the local area making it enjoyable for all. We…
DULUTH, Minn. & BRIMSON, Minn. – The Camp House Fire is quickly getting close to full containment. Containment Lines for Brimson Complex Fires (5/22/25) As of Thursday Morning (5/22/2025) the fire was reported to at 90% containment. The fire has burned 12,071 acres between Brimson and Bassett. There are still 363 people fighting the blaze. The cause of the fire is…
DULUTH, Minn. – The Eastern Area Incident Management Team on Wednesday (5/21/2025) morning declared the Jenkins Creek Fire was “Human Caused”. Up until Wednesday the Jenkins Creek Fire cause was officially declared to be “Under Investigation”. In an update the Eastern Area Incident Management Team expanded on the cause of the fire by writing, “While the initial investigation into the…
Lingering smoke drifts through fire-damaged timber as crews continue work along a dozer line on the Brimson Complex, May 2025. Hazardous snags and smoldering fuels remain a concern as containment efforts progress. DULUTH & ST. PAUL, Minn. – Governor Tim Walz on May 20, 2025 declared a peacetime emergency in response to wildfires in Northeast Minnesota. This follows St. Louis…
ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Minn. — In the last day containment around the Camp House fire grew from 40% to 59%. There are now four containment lines targeting the fire from all sides protecting the area south of Bassett, area north of Brimson, and areas to the east of Hornby and Breda. These lines were strengthened in preparation of Tuesday’s…
BRIMSON, Minn. –Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith visited the Camp House fire zone to take in the carnage firsthand. The group first visited the Incident Command Center at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Two Harbors, and met with teams responding to the fires. Governor Walz thanked the crews and volunteers, and shared his…
Munger Shaw Fire (Northland Fire Wire) COTTON, Minn. — The Munger Shaw wildfire, which has burned 1,600 acres, slowed down on Thursday. Lower humidity, reduced winds, and higher humidity have helped with slowing fire growth. according to officials. Firefighters are now able to focus their time on building and strengthening dozer lines and securing the fire perimeter. Severe thunderstorms and…
MINNESOTA — Governor Walz called up the national guard to assist in battle the wildfire. That includes crews dropping water on hot spots from helicopters… One pilot says she’s honored to be able to help out fellow Minnesotans. “It’s very mentally and physically taxing just controlling the aircraft with all the winds and trying to get it in the right…
DULUTH, Minn. — Click the video above to watch the first 15 minutes of FOX 21’s 9 p.m. wildfire coverage from Tuesday, May 13. Topics covered included the latest acres burned, an update on firefighting efforts from Incident Command in Two Harbors, and what St. Louis County Sheriff Gordon Ramsay believes caused the three separate wildfires that continued to burn…
DULUTH, Minn. — The fire danger in the Northland has been rated as high, as a result the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has issued burn restrictions across the region. “This upcoming pattern that we’re going to be looking at as far as creating these possible critical fire weather conditions, especially Sunday and Monday, is something that we generally see,…
DULUTH, Minn. – The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has released its regional fishing outlooks for areas around Minnesota. You can find the Northwest Region breakdown below. (CLICK HERE FOR: Northeast Regional Fishing Outlook for 2025) Lake of the Woods area: Walleye and sauger are the most important sport fish in Lake of the Woods, and as such those populations…
DULUTH, Minn. – The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has released its regional fishing outlooks for areas around Minnesota. You can find the Northeast Region breakdown below. (CLICK HERE FOR: Northwest Regional Fishing Outlook for 2025) Duluth Area: The St. Louis River Estuary provides exceptional fishing opportunities for walleye and other species such as muskellunge, smallmouth bass, black crappie and…
ASHLAND, Wis. — Multiple brush fires shut down a section of Highway 2 in Ashland Monday evening. Road Closure As for 5:30 p.m. the Wisconsin Department of Transportation closed a section of Highway 2 in both directions from Old Odanah Road to 26th Avenue. Video from resident Christie Branagan showed sections of fire and thick smoke near the Three Eagles…
DULUTH, Minn. — Volunteers came together in Lincoln Park to clean up for Earth Week. Local organization Ecolibrium3 wrapped up it’s 5th annual Earth Week on Saturday. The week consists of a series of events dedicated to bettering the environment. On Saturday Eco3 hosted a community clean-up in Lincoln Park. Volunteers were provided gloves, garbage bags and grabbers. Last year…
DULUTH, Minn. — Starry Skies North Celebrated Dark Skies week at the Lake Superior Zoo. Mayor Reinert made a proclamation designating today, April 24th, as Dark Sky Day in Duluth. Seven local businesses were also awarded Dark Sky friendly certification. Dark Skies is an international movement to reduce light pollution. Many animals are affected by bright light pollution. It also…
DULUTH, Minn. — Resource Renew, formerly known as Western Lake Superior Sanitary District (WLSSD), is reminding the public about proper recycling and disposal methods. Today at the Whole Foods Co-Op on Grand Ave., Emma Pardini, an environmental program coordinator, held a class with a Q&A about common recycling questions. Pardini emphasized the importance of reduce, renew, and recycle. Resource Renew…
SUPERIOR, Wis.– 4th Graders from Cooper Elementary in Superior had the opportunity to get some hands-on learning for Earth Day. The 4th graders got their hands dirty this morning at the Wade Park in Superior. They partnered up with the City of Superior to clean up trash. After they collected, the kids got to sort it all out, weigh it…
NORTHERN MINNESOTA — The Superior National Forest is starting prescribed fires to help reduce overgrown vegetation. The prescribed fires may be close to areas open to the public for the next several days. Warning signs will be posted along roads near all prescribed fire areas before operations begin. The Forest Service is warning that nearby residences may experience heavy smoke….
CANYON, Minn.– Around 250 closed dump and landfill sites across St. louis County is being addressed with a proposed project. These sites are unlined and ultimately contaminating ground water. To try and solve this, there’s a multi-million-dollar plan to help reverse the centuries-long damage at those sites. The project is called the “St. Louis County Integrated Solid Waste Management Campus.”…
NORTHERN MINNESOTA — Federal funding delays is impacting the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and their response to limiting the spread of spongy moths. Spongy Moths are an destructive invasive species in our area that threaten our area’s forest. The MDA uses federal funding for their Btk (Bacilius thuringiensis var. kurstaki) treatment which slows the spread of spongy moth caterpillars in…
DULUTH, Minn.– With the weather turning warmer, it was perfect timing for people to learn everything about pruning apple trees. Around 20 community members got their hands dirty while learning how to prune apple trees. The group got to help out one of the public orchards in Morgan Park that’s sponsored by ‘Edible Duluth’, The pruning class was put…
DULUTH, Minn.– A first of its kind project using hydrogen-based energy is in limbo after a federal pause on grants loans took place but was quickly revoked. That first of a kind project is called ‘Green Iron Project’, and it centers around the conversion of iron into steel using a hydrogen energy plant. The Minnesota Natural Resource Institute has a…
MINNESOTA — The unseasonal weather of the last year could bring both positive and negative impacts onto farmers this upcoming growing season. In a typical year, Minnesota sees lighter, fluffier snow from December to February, and heavy, wet snow between March and May. So far this season, snowfall totals are below the 30-year average, but total precipitation is near average…
ELY, Minn. — Former President Jimmy Carter teamed up with the Friends of the Boundary Waters during his administration, to help back up his efforts around the Boundary Water Canoe Area Wilderness. “There’s been a lot of sacrifice, a lot of victory too, and not all of those sacrifices accumulated into what we have today,” said Riley Smith. Riley Smith…
ELY, Minn.– Following the death of former president Jimmy Carter, he left behind quite the legacy for the Boundary Waters. After his recent death back in December, Friends of the Boundary Waters are looking back at his impact fondly. During Carter’s presidency, he teamed up with the Friends of the Boundary Waters. Together they passed numerous bills and acts promising…
DULUTH, Minn.– The winter season is feeling a bit more seasonal this year, because some freezing cold temperatures are on the horizon. The Northland is bracing for a cold stretch, lasting through next Wednesday. With temperatures falling well into the negative teens and ’20s. Temps that low matched with windchill are especially dangerous, because frostbite can occur in as little…
DULUTH, Minn. — Click the video above to watch FOX 21’s coverage at 9 p.m. Wednesday of the raging, fatal wildfires in the Los Angeles area. Plus, Meteorologist Rusty Mehlberg gives a perspective of what the size of the fires over Los Angeles would look in Duluth and other parts of the Northland. It’s a perspective that really opens your…
DULUTH, Minn. — As many anglers are excited to get out onto the ice now that the cold air has moved in. But the U.S. Coast Guard in Duluth is getting ready for ice rescues. Currents still flow underneath the ice and weaken areas that may seem safe. To prepare for the unexpected, Coast Guard members regularly practice ice rescue…
Duluth Minn — Duluth Public Schools are finalizing plans for two new solar projects on district property. One project will be installed near Lincoln Park Middle School. The other at the school’s district office. The solar power will not only help provide cleaner energy but also helps offset the costs of the energy they currently use. Students assisted in advocating…
DULUTH, Minn.– You’ve heard stories of people rescuing stray animals like dogs or cats, but how about two owls in one day! Lake Superior Zoo Employee Annabell Whelan played a big role in saving both a great grey owl and a snowy owl in the same day. “So, I kind of went along with my day, and thought, that was…
