Stewart Trail fire crews had the blaze more than 60% contained Monday after it burned about 355 acres near Two Harbors and destroyed 34 structures.
A downed power line sparked the fire Friday, and hot, dry winds drove its spread before light rain and cooler, more humid weather helped firefighters gain ground.
Tim Walz toured the damage, met responders and residents, and said the state would keep supporting containment and recovery after declaring a peacetime emergency Sunday.
Several stretches of Highway 61 remained inaccessible and some evacuation orders stayed in place, though the state incident commander said control could shift back to local officials by midweek.
As Minnesota's fire season worsens, are emergency deployments the only answer for protecting communities?
With a 1,200-acre fire uncontained, which community could be threatened by the shifting winds?
After 34 structures were destroyed, what does the path to recovery look like for families?