St. Louis County Sheriff Gordon Ramsay

08/11/2026

Having spent time with these men and women the last couple of years I can say they are some of the best people I’ve worked with. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of them and their families. 🙏🏽🙏🏽

The Eastern Area Complex Incident Management Team, under the command of the Superior National Forest and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources are aware that a medical emergency occurred on the July Lightning fires involving an individual assigned to the incident at approximately 10:40 am today, Tuesday, August 11, 2026, in the vicinity of Ely, MN.

Fire personnel and emergency medical services responded. The patient was transported to a medical facility for treatment. After arriving at the hospital, the patient subsequently passed away. When additional information is available and confirmed, an update will be provided.

Our deepest condolences go out to the family and fellow firefighting community.

08/09/2026

Boxing is back! 🥊

Next Saturday, August 15, our St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office PAL Boxing Club hosts Return to the Clyde, featuring local, state and regional boxers.

Doors open at 3 p.m. and the bouts start at 4. Tickets are $20 at the door, and kids 10 and under get in free with an adult.

Come out, cheer on these athletes and support our PAL Boxing program. Hope to see you there!

08/07/2026

As of 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 6, 2026, the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office has lifted all remaining evacuation zones associated with recent wildfire activity.

Additionally, the Echo Trail road closure will be lifted at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, August 7, 2026, and the roadway will reopen to all public travel.

Although the road is reopening, fire mitigation work will continue. Motorists should expect delays between 9:00 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.due to ongoing operations, and significant delays are possible during those hours.

Travelers using the Echo Trail are encouraged to exercise caution and limit travel unless necessary. Delays related to pilot car escorts and flagging operations should also be expected as crews continue their work along the corridor. Please slow down, obey all traffic control devices, and be prepared for intermittent stops to allow crews to safely complete fire mitigation activities.

While evacuation orders and the road closure have been lifted, the U.S. Forest Service will continue to maintain closures within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) in the affected area. Visitors are encouraged to check the U.S. Forest Service website for the latest information on wilderness closures and restrictions before traveling.

St. Louis County thanks residents, visitors, emergency responders, and cooperating agencies for their patience, cooperation, and support throughout this incident.

07/31/2026

Someone wanted to play hide-and-seek with K9 Ollie... they lost. 🐾

On July 29, a male suspect fled from the Proctor Police Department on a motorcycle before abandoning it and continuing on foot.

Deputy Kuhnly and his K9 partner, Ollie, began tracking the suspect through an alley and across several yards before reaching a tall wooden privacy fence. K9 Ollie alerted Deputy Kuhnly that they were getting close. Deputies gained access to the yard and gave K9 announcements, but no one responded.

Ollie tracked under a trampoline and continued pulling hard toward the back of the yard. Deputies then caught a glimpse of the suspect's shirt as he actively tried to conceal himself. After deputies gave commands, the suspect raised his hands and surrendered without further incident.

Bonus: The suspect also earned a free trip to Wisconsin! After addressing his felony fleeing charges in Minnesota, he'll also have to answer to the Wisconsin Department of Corrections for a parole violation warrant.

07/29/2026

Zone 100 will be reduced to a “Set” status beginning at 7:00 PM today to allow property owners through. This ends the last GO zone we have for St. Louis County outside of BWCA.

Checkpoints will remain at Forest Road 200 and North Arm Rd. along the Echo Trail.

The Echo Trail is still closed from 09:30 AM to 7 PM between those checkpoints.

A lot of work is being done along the road for firebreak purposes.

07/29/2026

⚠️Campfire restrictions reduced⚠️

The DNR reduced burning restrictions effective July 29 at 12:01 am for Cook, Koochiching, Lake, and northern St. Louis counties, as well as the entirety of the George Washington State Forest and Scenic State Park, including the portions in Itasca County.

Recent rain has reduced, although not eliminated, wildfire risk in parts of northeastern Minnesota, therefore Class III restrictions remain in place for Cook, Lake, and northern St. Louis counties. That means:

➡️ Campfires are not allowed for dispersed, remote, backpacking, or backcountry camping, whether there is a designated fire ring or not. Likewise, on state lands, campfires are not allowed in state forests, including their campgrounds, state day-use or recreational areas, or backpacking sites in state parks.

➡️ Campfires are allowed only in an established fire ring associated with a state park, home, cabin, staffed permanent campground, or resort.

➡️ No burning of brush or yard waste is allowed. Burning permits will not be issued or activated.

➡️ No fireworks may be ignited on any public or private land outside city limits. Municipalities determine firework restrictions within their borders.

The DNR will continue to monitor conditions regularly and will adjust as necessary.

Before you strike the match, check fire danger conditions and current burning restrictions mndnr.gov/burnrestrictions

07/28/2026

St. Louis County Update:

Zones 200 and 201 near the Camp fire will be downgraded from a GO Zone to a SET Zone.

The road closure at the Cloquet Line, which bisects Zones 200 and 201, will be lifted.

The closure at Echo Lake Campground will be reduced to Forest Road 200. Forest Road 199 will remain closed at this time.

These changes will take effect at 7:00 PM on July 28, 2026

Mapping link

https://sheriff-slcgis.hub.arcgis.com/pages/wildfire

07/28/2026

07/26/2026