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Staff photo/Brian Larsen

Crews from Edwin E. Thoreson Company have been putting in long hours to remove the debris left from the Crooked Spoon, Picnic & Pine, and White Pine North fire. These businesses all burned on a cold, windy Monday, April 13, 2020. Driven by high winds, the fire quickly overtook the Crooked Spoon and spread to Picnic & Pine and White Pine North. Volunteer firefighters from Grand Marais, Lutsen, Colvill and Maple Hill joined in to put out the blaze and keep it from spreading. A dispute among insurance companies led to a delay in cleaning up the mess. As of June 15, Cook County Sherriff Pat Eliasen said, “Since sending all of our initial investigation materials to the Fire Marshall’s Office, we have heard nothing back.”