Two Major Fires Draw Emergency Response, Entire County Told to Evacuate

Active wildfires in Colorado and Minnesota have prompted emergency responses from state authorities, leading to mandatory evacuations and the mobilization of the National Guard. While the region's wildfire season typically spans from late spring through early fall, increasingly arid conditions have extended the window of high fire risk.

The current outbreaks coincide with some of the highest temperatures recorded this year, trailing only the mid-April heatwave. The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a Dangerous Fire Condition alert for the Southern High Plains, while the Central Plains and Upper Midwest remain under severe weather advisories.

Minnesota Deploys National Guard During Flanders Fire

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz on Sunday morning announced that he had mobilized the National Guard to assist residents in the northern part of the state with evacuations as the Flanders Fire spreads in Crow Wing County.

“Grateful to the Guard and all our first responders answering the call,” the governor wrote on X.

According to data from Wildfire Explorer, the Flanders fire intensified rapidly throughout Sunday. Initial reports indicated 600 acres had burned; that figure doubled by early afternoon and expanded to approximately 2,100 acres by early evening. As of Sunday night, the fire remains at zero percent containment.

Colorado Evacuates Entire County as Sharpe Fire Spreads

Colorado emergency officials are responding to the Sharpe fire as it advances across the southeastern portion of the state. The blaze has prompted mandatory evacuation orders for all of Baca County-affecting approximately 3,500 residents-including the town of Campo.

The fire originated in Oklahoma on Friday evening before moving north. In response, the Colorado Department of Transportation closed Highway 287 from the Oklahoma state line to Springfield. However, the route remains accessible for local residents traveling to designated evacuation shelters in Springfield.

As of late Sunday afternoon, Wildfire Explorer estimates that the Sharpe Fire has burned around 520 acres and is not contained at all.

Oklahoma Wildfires Consumes Tens of Thousands of Acres

The Sharpe Fire, which started in Oklahoma, may have burned a few hundred acres in Colorado, but in the Sooner State estimates regarding the scale of the Sharpe fire vary widely, with Wildfire Explorer reporting an affected area between 1,750 but reports saying it has spread and consumed as much as 10,000 acres. The fire is currently estimated to be 5 percent contained.

ABC 7 reported that the fire started from a combination of drought conditions and lighting, and exacerbated by high winds of up to 35 miles per hour.

Oklahoma is also suffering from the Hungate Fire, which has burned an estimated 34,000 acres, although by Sunday evening, it is around 85 percent contained, and the mandatory evacuation order has been lifted in Randall County.

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This story was originally published May 17, 2026 at 6:38 PM.