Duluth Man Fined $175 for Starting 12,000-Acre Wildfire in NE MN

A Duluth man has been fined $175 for starting a wildfire in northeast Minnesota last May that burned 12,000 acres and burned 150 buildings.

Last week, 27-year-old Parker Wilson pleaded guilty in St. Louis County District Court with the petty misdemeanor of failing to extinguish a fire. Court documents say Wilson’s unattended campfire was on property he owns near Brimson and started what was known as the Camp House Fire.

Wilson was not required to make a court appearance, and a petty misdemeanor is not considered a criminal conviction. He could still face civil penalties under state law.