Minnesota Governor Tim Walz mobilized state National Guard troops on Sunday to combat wildfires burning on the state's northern border with Canada. The fires have consumed more than 800 acres in five days and remain uncontained.
Walz, a Democrat, declared a peacetime emergency to facilitate the mobilization. "Minnesotans extend our deepest gratitude to all of the first responders working around the clock to keep their neighbors safe," Walz said in a statement.
The fires are among recent blazes across the United States, fueled by hot and dry weather conditions attributed to an El Nino weather pattern affecting the continent. High temperatures over the weekend exacerbated the fire risk, according to the National Weather Service.
Sixteen fires are currently burning within the Superior National Forest in northern Minnesota, an area that typically hosts approximately 150,000 visitors during the summer months. Park rangers have been escorting visitors out of the forest over the weekend, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.