On the afternoon of Friday, May 15, 2026, a rapidly spreading wildfire ignited approximately three miles north of Two Harbors, Minnesota, in Lake County, along the U.S. Highway 61 and Lake County Highway 3 corridor on Minnesota’s North Shore. Within days, and despite suppression efforts, the fire destroyed 34 structures, including at least eight primary residences and 26 outbuildings. It forced mandatory evacuations across multiple communities between Two Harbors and Castle Danger. There will likely be smoke and ash claims as well. At its peak, the fire burned approximately 356 acres, with flame lengths reaching 50 to 60 feet, spotting across U.S. Highway 61, and requiring the highway’s closure for several days. Properties damaged by the fire may be located in zip codes 55616 and potentially in the immediately surrounding areas.
Public firefighting agency Minnesota Incident Command System (MNICS has stated that the fire was caused by a utility company’s power line. Subsequent media reports stated that the power line at issue is owned and operated by the Cooperative Light and Power Association of Lake County (CLP), a rural electric cooperative headquartered in Two Harbors, Minnesota. CLP has now confirmed that the ignition was caused by a tree falling onto one of its power lines. The fire was 100% contained as of Monday, May 18, 2026.
POST-FIRE INVESTIGATION AND PRESERVING SUBROGATION
Despite the comments from MNICS and CLP, obtaining and preserving evidence of the fire's origin, cause, spread, and the conditions of CLP's power line and surrounding right-of-way is a key part of the claim handling process. Evidentiary matters are complicated by the severity of the destruction, the ongoing official investigation, and the number of agencies and parties involved in documenting loss sites. Video, photographs, flyovers, GPS, and other high-tech devices provide crucial evidence needed to evaluate the wildfire's specific cause and the utility's liability.
A tree-to-line ignition raises well-established subrogation theories grounded in a utility's duty to maintain its right-of-way, conduct vegetation management, and identify and remove hazard trees within or near its lines. It is important that insurers act promptly to maximize the chances of recovery arising from this wildfire. Cozen O'Connor has retained forensic consultants to investigate the origin and cause of the fire and to document the scene. We will place CLP on notice of our clients' potential claims and issue an evidence preservation letter to ensure that documentary, photographic, and video evidence is maintained. If available, we will also collect and preserve evidence, interview witnesses, and obtain record statements.
We recommend that you contact us as soon as possible so that Cozen O'Connor can assist in protecting your subrogated interest. Please send your matters to Jon Levy.