DULUTH, Minn. — A Duluth man has been charged for his role in starting a spring wildfire that blackened more than 12,000 acres and destroyed at least 150 structures .

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) says 27-year-old Parker John Wilson left a campfire unattended, which investigators believe ignited the Camp House Fire on May 11 near the community of Brimson. That fire quickly spread due to dry conditions, gusty winds, and a large volume of dead timber, especially in areas infested with spruce budworm.

Flames burned acre after acre, causing closures and evacuations in parts of the Superior National Forest. On May 20, Governor Tim Walz declared a peacetime emergency so state agencies could be activated and state funds could be accessed to cover costs and victim assista

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