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North Star Stories: Voices from Where We Live is comprised of a weekly 30-minute magazine-style newscast and daily, five-minute headlines segments that shine a spotlight on the stories and perspectives of Minnesota’s diverse communities, including Black, Latine, Asian American, East African individuals, people living with disabilities, LGBTQIA2S+ residents, laborers, veterans, and those from Greater Minnesota.
INTRO: YOU ARE LISTENING TO NORTH STAR STORIES: VOICES FROM WHERE WE LIVE, A DAILY NEWSCAST ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO LIVE IN MINNESOTA.
XAN HOLSTON: WITH HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE STATE, I’M XAN HOLSTON.
BRANDON GRIFFEL: WE’RE HOPING THE SMOKE BLOWS OUT … AND WE’RE ABLE TO GET BACK IN THE FIGHT AND START HAMMERING IT.
XAN HOLSTON: SMOKE OVER ELY GREW SO THICK … IT GROUNDED THE AIRCRAFT FIGHTING MINNESOTA’S WILDFIRES.
VISIBILITY FELL TO AS LITTLE AS A QUARTER-MILE … AS PILOTS WAITED TO GET BACK IN THE AIR … AND MINNESOTANS DEALT WITH THE WORST AIR QUALITY IN THE WORLD. EVACUATION ORDERS REMAIN IN EFFECT IN PARTS OF NORTHEASTERN MINNESOTA … AS THE WILDFIRES BURN.
THE BOUNDARY WATERS REMAINS CLOSED … AND FIREFIGHTING CREWS ARE STILL PROTECTING HOMES NEAR SEVERAL ACTIVE FIRES.
BEYOND THE FLAMES... THE SMOKE IS IMPACTING PEOPLE ACROSS THE STATE.
THICK SMOKE HAS COMPLICATED THE FIREFIGHT FROM ABOVE ... GROUNDING PLANES WEDNESDAY AND MUCH OF YESTERDAY.
BRANDON GRIFFEL IS THE CHIEF PILOT FLYING SINGLE-ENGINE WATER SCOOPERS OUT OF ELY.
HIS CREW OF FOUR PLANES EACH PICK UP ABOUT 800 GALLONS AT A TIME ...
HELPING CREWS ON THE GROUND.
BRANDON GRIFFEL: WE PRETTY MUCH DROP RIGHT ON TOP OF THEM ALL DAY LONG. SO AS LONG AS WE'RE ON TOP OF IT AND CONTINUOUSLY PUTTING WATER ON IT, IT'S NOT REALLY GOING ANYWHERE. SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT OUR MISSION IS: IS TO GO OUT THERE AND AND AND BE PRODUCTIVE ALL DAY AND DO THAT WHILE IT'S THE HOT PART OF THE DAY WHEN THE FIRE REALLY WANTS TO STAND UP AND RUN.
XAN HOLSTON: THE PILOTS EXPECT TO BE ABLE TO RESUME REGULAR FLIGHTS TODAY AS THE WINDS SHIFT BACK TOWARDS THE NORTH.
EMERGENCY MANAGERS SAY PEOPLE IN THE FIRE REGION SHOULD KEEP PHONES CHARGED … MONITOR LOCAL READY, SET AND GO ALERTS … AND LEAVE IMMEDIATELY IF ORDERED.
THE SMOKE IS IMPACTING FAR MORE THAN THE PLANES IT IS PUSHING AIR QUALITY LEVELS TO A POINT THAT’S HAZARDOUS FOR EVERYONE.
CHANGING WINDS HAVE CARRIED THICK SMOKE THOUSANDS OF MILES FROM THE FIRES … METEOROLOGISTS REPORT THE SMOKE REACHING AS FAR AS BALTIMORE YESTERDAY (THURSDAY-7-16-2026)
THE MINNESOTA POLLUTION CONTROL AGENCY … OR M-P-C-A … SAYS IT HASN’T RECORDED SMOKE CONCENTRATIONS ACROSS THE STATE THIS HIGH IN MORE THAN 10 YEARS … AND AIR QUALITY READINGS UP NORTH WERE FAR BEYOND THE HAZARDOUS THRESHOLD.
M-P-C-A METEOROLOGIST RYAN LUECK SAYS THE COMBINATION OF HIGH TEMPS, DRY AIR, AND STRONG WIND GAVE THE FIRES THE FUEL THEY NEEDED GROW RAPIDLY. THEN …
RYAN LUECK: WE HAD THIS BOUNDARY THAT DROPPED SOUTH FROM THE SOURCE OF THE FIRES, CHANGED THE WIND DIRECTION OUT OF THE NORTH, AND JUST DRAGGED THAT HEAVY SMOKE ALL THE WAY ACROSS MUCH OF THE STATE INTO THE TWIN CITIES AND BEYOND.
XAN HOLSTON: AIR QUALITY IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN POOR THROUGH MOST OF THE STATE TODAY … BUT LUECK SAYS A COOL AIR FRONT FROM THE NORTHWEST SHOULD BEGIN CLEARING SOME SMOKE ACROSS THE STATE.
MINNESOTA HEALTH DEPARTMENT EPIDEMIOLOGIST KATHY RALEIGH SAYS THE SMOKE CONTAINS TINY PARTICLES THAT ARE ONE-THIRTIETH THE WIDTH OF A HUMAN HAIR … AND THEY DON’T JUST STAY IN YOUR LUNGS...
KATHY RALEIGH: THESE PARTICLES ... PENETRATE DEEPLY INTO THE LUNGS ... THEY PASS THROUGH INTO THE BLOODSTREAM ... AND THEN THEY CIRCULATE THROUGHOUT YOUR BODY.
XAN HOLSTON: THE PARTICLES CAN TRIGGER COUGHING, WHEEZING AND BREATHING TROUBLE … AND CAN WORSEN ASTHMA, C-O-P-D AND HEART DISEASE.
RALEIGH SAYS EVERYONE SHOULD STAY INSIDE … INCLUDING PETS.
SHE ALSO RECOMMENDS SETTING HOME AND CAR AIR SYSTEMS TO RECIRCULATE … AND WEAR A WELL-FITTING N-95 OR K-N-95 MASKS IF YOU HAVE TO GO OUT.
AND HERE IS ONE LESS-OBVIOUS TIP WHILE YOU ARE HOLED-UP INSIDE YOUR HOUSE ... SKIP THE VACUUMING, CANDLES AND INCENSE — BECAUSE THEY ADD MORE PARTICLES TO THE AIR INSIDE.
THE SMOKE AND EXTREME HEAT ARE FORCING THE CANCELLATIONS OF OUTDOOR EVENTS ACROSS THE STATE.
OFFICIALS SAY THE COMBINATION OF HAZARDOUS AIR AND TRIPLE-DIGIT HEAT INDICES CAN QUICKLY BECOME DANGEROUS ... ESPECIALLY FOR CHILDREN ... OLDER ADULTS ... PREGNANT WOMEN ... AND ANYONE WORKING OR EXERCISING OUTSIDE.
ORGANIZERS OF THE U-S-A CUP SOCCER TOURNAMENT IN BLAINE ... IN THE NORTH METRO ... POSTPONED ALL MATCHES YESTERDAY TO KEEP THOUSANDS OF YOUNG ATHLETES OFF THE FIELDS...
THEY’RE RECORDING EACH MATCH AS A ZERO-ZERO DRAW.
ORGANIZERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL YOUTH TOURNAMENT SAY THEY ARE REWORKING THE PLAYOFF SCHEDULE.
AND BACK UP NORTH ... ORGANIZERS POSTPONED THE ANNUAL GUNFLINT TRAIL CANOE RACES ... WHICH ACTUALLY BENEFITS THE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT.
THE FUNDRAISING RACE HAS HAPPENED EVERY JULY SINCE 1979 … ORGANIZERS WILL RESCHEDULE IT AFTER CONDITIONS IMPROVE.
AND FINALLY …
AS FIRE CREWS FIGHT TO PROTECT NORTHERN MINNESOTA’S FORESTS ABOVE GROUND ... A DEBATE IS OPENING UP TO THE PUBLIC ... FOCUSED ON WHAT COULD HAPPEN UNDERGROUND.
MINNESOTANS CAN NOW WEIGH IN ON A REWORKED PLAN FOR WHAT COULD BE THE STATE’S FIRST NICKEL MINE.
TALON METALS HAS BEEN WORKING FOR YEARS TO MINE NICKEL UNDERGROUND NEAR TAMARACK … ABOUT 50 MILES WEST OF DULUTH.
UNDER ITS NEW PLAN ... THE COMPANY WOULD SHIP THE ORE OUT OF STATE FOR PROCESSING … MEANING NO WASTE WOULD BE STORED IN MINNESOTA.
BUT TRIBES AND ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS WARN THE MINE COULD STILL THREATEN WATER AND WILD RICE.
PUBLIC INPUT IS NEEDED FOR THIS DISCUSSION... YOU CAN SUBMIT YOUR COMMENTS ON THE STATE’S DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES’ WEBSITE THROUGH SEPTEMBER 14th
FOR NORTH STAR STORIES, I’M XAN HOLSTON.
OUTRO: NORTH STAR STORIES IS PRODUCED BY AMPERS, DIVERSE RADIO FOR MINNESOTA'S COMMUNITIES WITH SUPPORT FROM THE MCKNIGHT FOUNDATION AND THE STATE OF MINNESOTA. ONLINE AT AMPERS DOT ORG.