Rhonda Silence
The containment of the Pagami Creek fire continues to grow—at press time on Thursday, October 6, officials said the fire was 71 percent contained. However, weather forecasts are causing heightened concerns as record high temperatures and dry, windy conditions are forecasted.
The Superior National Forest has expanded closures for areas adjacent to the Pagami Creek Fire as a precautionary measure for public safety. Until the Pagami Creek fire is completely contained, visitors should check to ensure their route is open. Visit www. fs. usda. gov/ goto/ superior/ home for the latest information.
According to fire officials, hot spots outside the fire perimeter continue to be located and contained. Crews were being moved in anticipation of stronger southerly winds expected on Thursday and Friday. Additional air resources (two CL215 water scooping aircraft and one Type 1 helicopter) were assigned to the fire.
Legislators call for reimbursement for lost resources
Although the number of people assigned to the fire has been reduced from a high of nearly 800 people to 463 now, the cost of fighting it continues to climb. According to Public Informaion Officer Carson Berglund, the latest estimate for the cost of fighting the fire is $15.7 million.
A political firestorm has also begun as Iron Range lawmakers issued a press release on September 27 urging the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the State’s Attorney General to ask the federal government for the reimbursement of the resources lost on state land as a result of the fire.
State Representative Tom Anzelc, DFL-Balsam Township, said: “The state owns thousands of acres of forest land consumed by this fire. It is held in the school trust account, managed by the DNR, to benefit our kids and their education. The fire destroyed this resource, and the US Forest Service should be held accountable for its policies.”
State Representative Tom Rukavina, DFL-Virginia, added: “Hey, if the average Joe Camper started this fire by accident at a campsite, he’d be strung up by the federal government and it would be front page news. He’d pay thousands of dollars in fines and probably go to jail.” “But,” Rukavina continued, “it is now the federal government that screws up, and they say “yup, we should have put out the fire, instead of letting it burn. Well, anyone with common sense would have put the fire out, and now we have a forest full of ashes instead of trees for the kids’ trust fund.”
Cook County’s Representative David Dill, DFL-Crane Lake, said “We are thankful that none of our constituents were injured in the blaze and that houses and cabins were saved by the great work of the firefighters. But we have a responsibility to protect state assets, and the federal government should step up and pay for their intentional decision to let the fire burn. We look forward to action by our attorney general to redress this wrong.”
For up-to-the-minute information on the Pagami Creek fire, visit www.inciweb.org/incident/2534
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