Fire and rain

Start and stop. Hit or miss. Splash and dash?

Pull out your favorite scattered rain metaphor and it will work this week.

The rain sweeping north across Minnesota is timely. The biggest blazes are still in Canada, but multiple fires have broken out in increasingly dry northern Minnesota.

The rainfall this week is welcome. It should tamp down fire danger by mid week. At least temporarily.

Timely low

Talk about good timing. A beautiful (but smoky) weekend with rain on Monday?  The low moving low pressure system spins north through the Dakotas toward Lake Winnipeg this week. Multiple waves of showers and thunderstorms sweep through this week.

NOAA's 4 km NAM model paints streaks of rain across the Upper Midwest. Precise totals will vary, but you get the picture here.

Minnesota fires

Blazes in Canada are still producing the lion's share of smoke across North America. But the number of Minnesota blazes is growing.

Here's a lengthy but worthy update on Minnesota's fires from the Minnesota Incident Command System.

Update on Fires, May 9, 2016

Taylor Road Fire

The Taylor Road Fire near Embarrass is 250 acres and is 75 percent contained. There are 96 personnel working on the fire. Lane closures are likely due to fire traffic.

Skibo Fire

Current situation:

• Public and firefighter safety continues to be the priority mission.

• Infrared aerial mapping shows a 21 percent containment of the fire. Good progress was made yesterday, especially on the western perimeter in anticipation of the expected change in wind direction.

• Reduced wind yesterday helped air navigation and a Chinook helicopter to make continuous bucket drops on ‘hot spots’.

• Crews patrolling the fire perimeter last night saw less smoke, indicating that suppression efforts continue to be successful.

• Today ground crews will continue mop up and gridding to establish a firm perimeter and strengthen containment lines up to 100 feet toward the center of the fire. Along with continued work on the western perimeters, crews will focus on the eastern edge of the fire.

• It is a critical fire weather today with a Red Flag warning issued to the west of the fire.

• Structure protection continues as a priority.

• Several families remain under evacuation.

Resources: Currently there are 142 personnel from 12 states are working the fire. Aurora, Hoyt Lakes, and Palo Fire Department resources are also assigned to the incident. There are three Type 1 crews, 13 engines, and two dozers, and a Chinook, T-1 helicopter and air attack.

Closure Information: Please continue to use caution when driving on County Road 110 as firefighters are frequently entering and leaving the roadway. County Roads 565 and 569 are closed. Forest Roads 120, 420, 795, and part of 113 are closed. There is an area closure around the fire.

Hut Two Fire

The Hut Two Fire, 1.2 miles north of Finland, Minnesota, now stands at 257 acres and is 95 percent contained. The fire started May 7, 2016. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) and the Finland Volunteer Fire Department responded to the fire and did initial attack. The Finland VFD provided structural protection. Thirteen aircraft dropped retardant and water the first day.

Firefighters are mopping up and securing the containment line to 100 feet toward the center of the fire. A small spot fire was detected on Sunday, May 8, and crews are working to put that out.

Resources on the fire include firefighters, dozers and engines from the MNDNR, the US Forest Service and the Bureau of Indian Affairs and local contractors. The Finland Fire Department continues to provide support for the fire. The Midewin Interagency Hotshot Crew is also working on the fire. Midewin IHC is a 20-person wildland firefighting crew from Illinois. Hotshot crews are made up of highly trained firefighters.

No structures have been lost and there have been no injuries or other concerns.

Incident commander Tom Lynch expects to keep resources on the fire at least through Wednesday, May 11.