Friends and neighbors,
By now you have certainly heard about the Flanders Fire burning near Breezy Point, Crosslake, and Mission Township in Crow Wing County. It has rapidly grown in size, and this morning Gov. Walz activated the National Guard to assist with wildfire efforts.
I want to make sure you have what you need to stay safe and stay informed.
The most important thing: if you are in or near the fire area, please take evacuation orders and instructions from local public safety officials seriously. Conditions can change really fast. When local law enforcement and emergency management tell you to go, please listen. Stay out of closed areas and keep roads clear so firefighters, law enforcement, DNR crews, and emergency personnel can move freely and do their jobs.
If you need shelter, the Red Cross has opened one at the Crosslake Community Center. The address is 14126 Dagget Pine Road.
And a sincere thank you to every single person working this fire, from the firefighters, local departments, law enforcement, emergency managers, and everyone in between. These are long, exhausting, difficult days, and we are grateful for what you do.
Here are some resources to help you stay current:
- Download the Watch Duty App for fire updates: https://app.watchduty.org/
- MICS -- Minnesota Incident Command System: https://mnics.org/wpress/
- Flanders Fire MICS page: https://mnics.org/wpress/flanders-fire-information/
- Inciwebpage for the Flanders Fire: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/mnmns-flanders-fire
- Regularly updated fire map: https://shorturl.at/Ty0hY
Local media
Local press has been quickly sharing information about all the fires burning up here, including Flanders. I know you likely have a favorite outlet; chances are they have been doing a great job. Here are a few. You can visit their official sites or their Social Media pages:
- https://lptv.org/lakeland-news/
- https://www.kaxe.org/
- https://www.northernnewsnow.com/
- https://www.wdio.com/
- https://www.brainerddispatch.com/
If you have questions…
Crow Wing County Emergency Management:
304 Laurel St, Brainerd
Phone: 218-829-4749
Emergency: 911
Minnesota Interagency Fire Center:
Email: mnmncc_information@firenet.gov
Phone: 218-244-1911
Hours: 8 a.m.–8 p.m.
Please keep everyone in the affected area and everyone fighting these fires in your prayers. Stay safe.