A hometown newspaper with a local office, local owners & lots of local news
A hometown newspaper with a local office, local owners & lots of local news
Thomson Township and Cloquet Area Fire District trucks and firefighters join U.S. Forestry Service trucks in a combined response to the growing Greenwood Fire north of Two Harbors. Crews and equipment from the area have been used since the fire was spotted Aug. 15.
The Esko Fire Department has had a busy week fighting the Greenwood Fire, alongside various departments from across northern Minnesota.
After a request for equipment on Aug.16 from the state, the Esko Department has had two to six firefighters and various trucks assisting with fighting the dangerous and growing wildfire that was sparked by lightning and detected on Aug. 15 about 40 miles north of Two Harbors.
Cloquet Area Fire District fire chief Matt Ashmore said CAFD sent a Type 1 "normal" fire engine with four personnel to the Greenwood Fire on the night of Aug. 16. Since that time, CAFD has sent a Type 6 engine, a brush truck, with two personnel made up of one career and one paid-on-call firefighter a few more times. They have since returned.
"Crews have been given various jobs on scene from supplying water to out-of-state hotshot crews to structure protection," he said. As of Tuesday afternoon, CAFD had not received any more requests for service. "But that may change in the coming days," Ashmore said.
Esko fire chief Kyle Gustafson updated the Thomson Township Board of Supervisors at its meeting Thursday, Aug. 19. He said the department has been working with Cromwell, Proctor, Cloquet, Rice Lake and other nearby departments to make sure that they are staggering which trucks are sent for assistance so that no department is understaffed or left without key equipment.
Esko had a tanker and engine truck in Isabella after a request Aug. 16. Then the state requested a brush truck for the remainder of the week. Numerous Esko firefighters and command staff continue to make the trip north.
"My trucks have been on midnights since last Monday when it started, with just a few day shifts," Gustafson told the Pine Knot on Wednesday, Aug. 25. "Night can be really busy or really, really boring. And it looks like they'll be doing the same thing every evening on a day-by-day basis."
Gustafson said the firefighters assisting at the Greenwood wildfire have to take time off of work. The township is compensated for the use of its trucks and follows the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources rate of $15 per hour for additional firefighters. Gustafson asked that the board raise the rate to $20 per hour for the firefighters, taking the extra funds out of what they are paid for the use of the trucks.
After discussion, the board approved raising the rate to $20 per hour. Some firefighters have been working 16-hour days.
Gustafson said Esko residents come first and that they will make sure that they are not left without essential equipment.
