Ely, MN - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken and U.S. Representative Chip Cravaack today joined Governor Mark Dayton to review the joint federal, state, and local efforts to combat the Pagami Creek forest fire in Superior National Forest and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The members met with Incident Command Manager Doug Turman and conducted a flyover the area of the fire to survey the damage. 

“After witnessing first-hand the magnitude of the fire and the efforts to combat it, I am humbled by the heroism of the firefighters and thankful that no lives have been lost,” said Klobuchar.  “I will continue to work with Governor Dayton, Senator Franken, Representative Cravaack, and state and local officials to ensure that the necessary resources are in place to stamp out the fire and local communities have the support they need to recover.”

“Viewing this devastation firsthand brought home the seriousness of this fire and the magnitude of the effort needed to combat it,”  said Sen. Franken.  “With homes, businesses, and tourism being threatened by the blaze, I am  truly grateful to the hundreds of men and women fighting the blaze, and I will continue to work with Governor Dayton, and my Congressional colleagues to ensure that Minnesota has the resources and supportit needs to recover.”

“My office stands ready to assist the Forest Service, federal and local fire suppression teams, and the people of Northeast Minnesota affected by this fire,”said Representative Cravaack.  “I am grateful for the efforts of Governor Dayton and Senators Klobuchar and Franken this past week as we work to ensure public safety and the quickest resolution to the fire fight.”

Ignited by a lightning strike on August 18, the Pagami Creek Fire has already burned more than 100,000 acres (about 160 square miles) and is the largest forest fire suffered by Minnesota in decades. 

The fire is being fought under the Unified Command of Lake County and Cook County Sheriff's Offices and the Superior National Forest.  The U.S. Forest Service has hundreds of firefighters and heavy equipment on the ground working to stop the fire, as well as tanker planes in the air.  Fire crews have arrived from as far away as California, Nevada, Arizona and New Jersey.  The Minnesota National Guard is also assisting, including the deployment of Black Hawk helicopters.  In addition, the Canadian province of Manitoba is providing air support and assistance.

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