wildfire damage restoration northern Minnesota

Wildfire Damage Restoration in Northern Minnesota: How Dryco Responds

When the Stewart Trail Fire burned northeast of Two Harbors in May 2026, Dryco was actively working with local homeowners to help them recover. Our team provided fire and smoke restoration in northern Minnesota during both major wildfire events over the past two years: the 2025 wildfires (Camp House, Jenkins Creek and Munger Shaw) and the Stewart Trail Fire this spring, which destroyed more than 30 buildings and displaced families across Lake County.

We are not a national call center dispatching contractors from out of state. We are a local team based in Duluth and Cloquet, with deep roots in the communities we serve. When wildfires affect the North Shore, the Iron Range, or the Twin Ports, we respond from right here.

What Makes Wildfire Restoration Different in Northern Minnesota

Northern Minnesota presents specific conditions that shape how wildfire smoke restoration must be approached. Our experience working in this region, through two consecutive fire seasons, has given our team practical experience that informs every project.

Tight Winter Construction

New homes are built to minimize air exchange in cold weather. That same tight construction can trap wildfire smoke compounds and prevent continuous airflow. The longer smoke compounds linger, the deeper they can penetrate into building materials. Our restoration protocols and practices account for this.

Pre-1980 Housing Stock

The Duluth region, Two Harbors, and many Iron Range communities have a substantial inventory of older homes. Many homes built before the 1980s may contain asbestos-containing materials and lead paint. A wildfire event can disturb these materials, which may require asbestos or lead testing and, where applicable, licensed abatement before restoration begins. Dryco assesses all pre-1980 homes for these concerns at the outset of every project.

Seasonal Humidity and Odor Reactivation

Northern Minnesota’s significant humidity variation between winter and spring means incomplete remediation that appears successful in January can reveal residual smoke odors as humidity increases in the spring. Our process includes clearance testing designed to catch residual sources before seasonal reactivation occurs.

Communities We Serve After a Wildfire

Dryco maintains 24/7 emergency response from our Duluth and Cloquet facilities, with response capability across the entire region affected by the recent wildfire events:

Community	Service Page	Notes
Two Harbors and Lake County	North Shore primary response	Stewart Trail Fire 2026 impact area
Duluth	Primary service hub	Twin Ports residential and commercial
Hermantown	Greater Duluth area	Western Duluth suburbs
Cloquet and Carlton County	Southern response hub	Dryco facility located here
Esko	Carlton County communities
Superior, WI	Twin Ports Wisconsin	Cross-state response capability
Silver Bay	North Shore response	Lake County communities
Grand Marais and Cook County	Far North Shore	Extended response area
Virginia and St. Louis County	Iron Range response	Hibbing and surrounding communities
Hibbing	Iron Range response	St. Louis County western communities

View our full service area at drycoduluth.com/service-area.

What Dryco Does for Wildfire-Affected Homeowners

Emergency Response and Assessment

We respond 24/7. When you call, we dispatch a team to assess the scope of smoke and soot infiltration in your home, document conditions for your insurance claim, and provide a complete restoration plan before any work begins. Emergency board-up and tarping services are available for structurally compromised properties.

Complete Smoke and Soot Remediation

Dryco’s remediation process follows IICRC S700 standards and covers surface soot removal, HEPA air filtration, HVAC decontamination, structural drying, thermal fogging, and ozone or hydroxyl treatment.

Full details at our fire and smoke damage restoration page.

Contents Pack-Out and Restoration

Smoke-damaged furniture, clothing, electronics, documents, and personal items are inventoried, packed out to our restoration facility, and treated using ultrasonic cleaning, ozone chambers, and specialized methods matched to each material type. Items are restored, documented, and returned to the homeowner.

Details at our contents cleaning page.

Water Damage Restoration

Wildfire suppression introduces significant water damage that must be addressed alongside smoke remediation. Dryco handles both simultaneously.

Mold Remediation

Homes that sat unoccupied during extended evacuation orders may have developed mold growth from suppression moisture. Dryco addresses mold as part of a comprehensive wildfire restoration scope when present.

Working With Your Insurance Company

Dryco works directly with all major insurance carriers operating in Minnesota and Wisconsin. We provide complete scope documentation, progress photography, and clearance testing reports that support your claim from first notice of loss through final settlement.

If you are an insurance agent or adjuster handling wildfire claims in the region, visit our agent and adjuster information page for claim documentation resources and direct contact information for our project management team.

As Featured on WDIO

During the 2025 wildfire season, Dryco VP Cole Fechner was consulted by WDIO-TV to provide guidance for local homeowners returning to smoke-affected properties. That coverage remains a useful resource for North Shore residents navigating wildfire cleanup decisions.

If your home has suffered from wildfire damage, contact professionals like the Dryco team immediately. We’re available 24/7 in the Duluth area.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How quickly can Dryco respond to a wildfire smoke damage call?

For the greater Duluth area, including Hermantown, Superior, and Cloquet, our typical emergency response time is one to two hours. For Two Harbors, Silver Bay, and the North Shore, it is two to four hours. And for Grand Marais, Virginia, and Hibbing, we provide same-day response. We maintain 24/7 availability year-round.

Q: Does Dryco handle both the remediation and the reconstruction?

Dryco provides full-service wildfire damage restoration in northern Minnesota, from emergency response through smoke and water damage remediation and air quality clearance. However, we do not perform reconstruction.

Q: My home was not directly burned but was in the smoke zone. Can Dryco help?

Absolutely. Smoke infiltration damage is often covered by homeowners insurance, depending on the policy. Dryco assesses and remediates smoke-only cases throughout the region. Many of the homes we worked on after the previous year’s fires were structurally intact but required full HVAC decontamination, surface cleaning, and odor treatment.

Q: What should I do right now if I am returning to my home after the Stewart Trail Fire?

Call Dryco before you start cleaning anything. The decisions made in the first hours after returning home have a lasting impact on restoration outcomes and insurance claims. We will assess your home, document conditions for your insurer, and tell you exactly what is needed. There is no obligation and no cost for the initial assessment.