Santiago

Santiago Fire contained as crews mop up interior hot spots

The Santiago Fire is located in grassland and brushland in the far northwest corner of the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge, northeast of County Road 11 and 175th Avenue. Over the past few days, firefighters completely encircled the perimeter and largely extinguished active flames, transitioning to mop-up and monitoring. The fire poses no threat to nearby communities or property today.

Evacuations and Closures

• No evacuation orders or warnings are in effect as of October 16.
• Refuge area advisory: Visitors are asked to avoid the burned area northeast of County Road 11 (165th Avenue) and 175th Avenue through October 16 while clean-up operations finish (October 16).

Conditions and Outlook

Gusty north-northwest winds will ease and shift to the south-southwest over the weekend, with dry conditions persisting and no rain expected. Fire behaviour is expected to remain minimal with only creeping in smoldering interior fuels. Refuge crews plan to monitor the contained perimeter and mop up lingering hot spots through the end of the week.

Cause and Context

The cause of the fire remains undetermined and under investigation as of October 15. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service confirmed the blaze was an unplanned wildfire rather than a prescribed burn, and noted that refuge hunting seasons and wildlife viewings remain unaffected.

Official updates current through October 16, 2026.