Funds to fight forest fires

While much of the state is preparing for flooding, some parts of Minnesota will have to worry about wildfires soon.

During the dry seasons, Minnesota has its fair share of wildfires.

That’s why Minnesota U.S. Senator Tina Smith was in Duluth today, announcing nearly $900,000 of federal funding to help St. Louis County deal and mitigate with wildfire risks.

Surrounded by stakeholders at the Lakewood fire station in Duluth Senator Smith said, “Wildfires are of course, a huge threat to private forestland and State and Federal forestland, but also to homes and and businesses and is a huge threat to public health because of the impact of the smoke and fire on air quality and on the potential impact on respiratory illnesses. So forest management and wildfire mitigation are critical to safeguarding these communities.”

The funding will be distributed to local lake and road associations, fire departments, and township boards in the highest wildfire risk areas in the county.

Over the next five years, the funding will support 20 hazardous fuels mitigation projects across a combined 225 acres.