Wildfire-hit residents in northern Minnesota can now return home to assess damage
Residents of Minnesota's North Shore can now return home to assess damage caused by wildfires, according to the Minnesota Incident Command System.
The Stewart Trail Fire near Two Harbors is now fully contained after scorching hundreds of acres, but command system officials day crews are still working in the area.
Mattie Taylor was celebrating her birthday when she received a special gift on Tuesday: an alert that she could come home.
"We got to come in yesterday for about three hours, and so we were really hopeful that we would get to come in today," Taylor said.
Taylor and her husband pulled into their driveway to see burnt ground surrounding their property.
"I'm really grateful to be back, and it's sad to look at all this destruction. But I'm optimistic that in time, it'll all just be more beautiful," Taylor said.
Karen Harrison with the command system says crews are now mopping up the inside of that area to make sure any hot spots are out cold.
"What it means is that we're fairly certain that no fire is going to escape that area," Harrison said. "They're gonna wet down anything. If there are logs or wood, trees that are still smoking or burning, they're gonna make sure that those get cut down, put out."
And as work continues to protect the public, many are trying to find a new normal.
"We were fortunate enough to be able to move on pretty easily, so that's basically what I'm trying to do, is just keep going," Taylor said.
County Road 11 reopened to the public, though officials are asking the public to avoid the area unless necessary. Evacuation orders have also been lifted.
The Flanders Fire, which started over the weekend in Crow Wing County, is 95% contained after about 91 crew members strengthened containment lines and put out hotspots, according to command system officials. The fire has burned more than 1,600 acres.
In the coming weeks, residents might still see some lingering smoke in the area.
The causes of both fires are still under investigation, though the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources announced Tuesday it had identified "people of interest" in the Flanders Fire.