Dozens of homes, outbuildings burned in Minnesota wildfire

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

ISABELLA, Minn. (AP) — Dozens of homes, cabins and outbuildings have been destroyed or damaged in northeastern Minnesota as the state’s largest wildfire continues burning uncontained, according to Superior National Forest officials.

Authorities say 12 homes or cabins and 57 outbuildings have been lost in the Greenwood Lake fire that has consumed 34 square miles of forest land. An additional three homes or cabins were damaged in the fire, Minnesota Public Radio News reported Wednesday.

Thousands of the torched acres belong to a North Carolina family that is now questioning whether it did enough to mitigate fire risks, as the drought-stricken forest had been already weakened by an outbreak of spruce budworm, which decimated the area’s balsam fir trees and created a tinderbox.

Robert C. Hayes Jr., of Charlotte, North Carolina, whose extended family owns about 12,350 acres, or 20 square miles, at the Greenwood Lake fire site told the Star Tribune: “I’m afraid to go up there because the pictures I’ve seen. It’s just scorched.” A Star Tribune analysis of property records shows more than half of the Hayes’ forest land appears to be inside the fire perimeter.



As the Greenwood Fire continues to burn, smoke from the blaze fills the air near Pitcha Lake (bottom left) as fire crews set back fires to better control the perimeter, Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2021, in Isabella, Minn. (Brian Peterson/Star Tribune via AP)


Read more: https://apnews.com/article/business-fires-environment-and-nature-minnesota-wildfires-da97ffedbd63509acdc97297780388e1

[dalton99a]

1. Kick

Duluth photographer and writer Michael Furtman likened the situation to throwing a match on acres of dried-out Christmas trees. Furtman, who owns a cabin on Middle McDougal Lake, adjacent to the Hayes property, said he and his wife spent an estimated $2,000 to hire workers to cut down dead trees and remove potential tinder, hauling out “dozens of loads” of brush.

“The individual small landowners are doing everything they can, and can afford,” Furtman said. “Has the wealthy landowner done everything he can and can afford?”

Hayes called those questions “reasonable.”

“We are actively asking that of ourselves,” he said.

Hayes’ family has owned the land for 30 years and wanted it to be “a canvas for the moose and the wolf and the environment.” The land is technically held by Lake County Land & Timber LLC, which is owned by a trust for the benefit of Hayes’ father, Robert Cannon “Robin” Hayes, a former congressman and North Carolina Republican Party chairman who pleaded guilty in 2019 to lying to the FBI in relation to a bribery scheme. Former President Donald Trump pardoned him in January.

[Hekate]

2. Interesting

[Champp]

3. And still Pipeline 3 - sure to make climate change worse - proceeds

against all common sense, against all honor and integrity as it violates treaties.

[Auggie]

4. Do we have a Federal firefighting force akin to the power of our U.S. Military?

If not, it sure seems like it's time for one. Some of those billions spent on needless tanks and aircraft carriers can go towards firefighting equipment and new units to fight them.

[lildDemz]

5. Still burning:

11% contained: Caldor Fire Burns 136,643 Acres; New Evacuation Orders, Warnings Issued

[S/V Loner]

6. I know Michael Furtman and he...

had and his wife just bought that cabin this past year. He has been on the edge because of the fire but he just posted photos of his cabin and it is untouched though a few of his neighbors were not so lucky.