Fridley residents, the northwoods community is where they escape year-round. Today, they learned from their neighbors that all that remains on their property is their chimney. “We lost everything,” she said,

BRIMSON, Minn. — The largest of three wildfires in St. Louis County in northern Minnesota has grown to 12,000 acres since Sunday and consumed over 40 homes, cabins and other buildings, St. Louis County Sheriff Gordon Ramsay said Tuesday.

The devastating wildfires that are consuming thousands of acres of forest in northern Minnesota have been exacerbated by the actions of a wood pest. Commanders responding to the trio of wildfires ongoing in St. Louis County say they have been fueled by the eastern spruce budworm.

Wildfires have exploded in size across parts of northeastern Minnesota north of Lake Superior, destroying at least 40 homes and buildings, as unseasonably high temperatures and low humidity will continue to drive dangerous fire weather on Tuesday.

State and local fire teams have been leading the battle against the Camp House and Jenkins Creek fires since they broke out on Sunday and Monday respectively. Jenkins Creek fire in the distance. Camp House fire in the forefront.

A new incident command team will take over the response to the two largest fires beginning Wednesday, state officials said.

On Tuesday morning, the online tracker Watch Duty showed the Jenkins Creek Fire has grown to 6,000 acres in size, while the Munger Shaw Fire has burned more than 1,300 acres. Meanwhile, the Camp House Fire is now up to 1,