It has been one year since a man ignored warnings of high wildfire danger and lit a campfire 30 miles north of Duluth on a hot, dry and windy day. His decision ultimately sparked the Camp House wildfire that burned thousands of acres of Northland forests and destroyed dozens of homes and vacation cabins.
Mike Christianson, who’s on the board of the small town of Bassett, joined Morning Edition Tuesday with an update on rebuilding and recovery.
Fires were still burning when several politicians visited the area last spring and pledged support to rebuild infrastructure. However, many people have been forced to rely solely on their own insurance to rebuild, replace expensive items like mound septic systems, and foot the bill to clear downed trees, as KBJR-TV reported.
While Christianson’s own home is surrounded by two lakes and protected from flames, his sister lost her house and had to deal with such costs.
“She lost her barn, she lost 40 acres of her land. But since I talked to you last, she has a house. She got it moved in. She got the septic [system]. She's living in it, and she is happy she's back on her property,” he said.
but lakes could suffer for years
That recovery has been possible partly because of grassroots efforts from within the community, ranging from donations to benefit concerts, a gathering at Hugo’s Bar with the Brimson Fire Department and other fundraisers, Christianson said. He attributes much of the support to Mikala Schliep — who started the group Brimson Strong — and her plucky chicken named Reba.
“You can buy a t-shirt. It's got her chicken on it because she had one chicken that survived the fire. Reba, the support chicken,” Christianson said. Schliep is “the one that really got behind all this” recovery.
As far as what he’s learned about his community in the year since the Camp House and Jenkins Creek fires began, Christianson cites the “strength” and “love” of his neighbors.
