>> CATHY: THREE WILDFIRES BURNING NORTH OF DULUTH SINCE EARLY THIS WEEK HAVE GROWN TO SEVERAL THOUSAND ACRES WITH THE NUMBER OF EVACUATIONS AND BUILDINGS HAVE BEEN DESTROYED.

YESTERDAY'S COOLER WET WEATHER HELPED SLOW THE SPREAD OF THE FIRES AND STAVE OFF ADDITIONAL EVACUATIONS.

EARLIER TODAY GOVERNOR WALZ AND U.S.

SENATORS AMY KLOBUCHAR AND TINA SMITH SURVEYED THE AREA.

THE MULTI-AGENCY EFFORT INVOLVES FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL RESPONDERS, INCLUDING THE NEWLY ARRIVED FIREFIGHTING HOTSHOT CREWS FROM COLORADO, MONTANA AND TENNESSEE.

THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES IS ONE OF THE AGENCIES WORKING ON THE FIRE EFFORTS.

JOINING US VIA ZOOM FROM IS -- FROM GRAND RAPIDS IS PATTY THIELEN, SHE IS HEAD OF THE DNR'S FORESTRY DIVISION.

THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME.

>> THANKS, CATHY.

>> Cathy: WHAT'S THE LATEST ON THE FIRES, CONTAINMENT FOR THE COTTON FIRE, AT LEAST 5% EARLIER THIS MORNING, WHAT'S THE LATEST?

25%.

>> YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD A LITTLE BIT OF A REPRIEVE WITH THE WEATHER THAT HAS COME THROUGH, BUT NOT -- WE'VE NOT GOTTEN A LOT OF PRECIPITATION.

IT HAS HELPED THAT IT'S A LITTLE COOLER.

WE DID HAVE A LITTLE RAIN.

SOME AREAS AS LITTLE AS A QUARTER INCH.

SOME OTHER AREAS AS MUCH AS THREE-QUARTERS OF AN INCH.

IT'S GIVING OUR FIREFIGHTERS A LITTLE BIT OF A BREAK BECAUSE FIRE AT LEAST WON'T SPREAD AS QUICKLY IN HESE CONDITIONS.

CURRENTLY THE CAMP HOUSE FIRE IS AT ABOUT 15,000 ACRES AND LAST REPORT STILL ZERO PERCENT CONTAINED.

THE JENKINS FIRE IS A LITTLE OVER 15,000 ACRES AND ALSO ZERO PERCENT CONTAINED.

THE MUNGER SHAW FIRE IS 1600 ACRES, A LITTLE SMALLER, AND 25% CONTAINED.

>> Eric: DO YOU HAVE A HANDLE YET ON EVACUATIONS AND PROPERTY LOSS?

>> WE'RE REALLY SAD TO KNOW THAT THERE'S PROBABLY OVER 140 STRUCTURE THAT IS HAVE BEEN LOST, AND OVER 40 RESIDENCES.

CAN'T IMAGINE THE FAMILIES THAT ARE DEALING WITH THIS.

WE'LL HAVE BETTER NUMBERS AS WE O FORWARD.

OUR PRIMARY CONCERN RIGHT NOW IS TILL FIRE SUPPRESSION AND LIFE SAFETY.

>> Cathy: HOW HELPFUL IS IT, PATTY, TO AVE THOSE HOTSHOT CREWS FROM THE OTHER STATES COME IN?

>> IT IS GREAT TO HAVE JUST ALL KINDS OF RESOURCES COMING IN FROM OUTSIDE.

WE'VE GOT A COMPLEX INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM THAT IS FROM FIREFIGHTERS FROM THE NORTHEAST 20 STATES, MINNESOTA DOWN TO ISSOURI, AND ALL THE WAY TO THE NORTHEAST, MAINE.

THESE PEOPLE TRAIN TO BE ABLE TO COME AND WORK ON LARGE COMPLEX FIRES.

AND, SO, THAT TEAM HAS ARRIVED IN MINNESOTA AND IS MANAGING THE CAMP HOUSE FIRE AND THE JENKINS FIRE TOGETHER.

ONE OF THE INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAMS FROM MINNESOTA THAT WAS ON ONE OF THOSE TWO FIRES HAS BEEN REASSIGNED TO THE MUNGER SHAW FIRE.

THE COMPLEX INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM IS ALSO BRINGING IN ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AND WE'RE REALLY THANKFUL THAT WE HAVE SUCH A GREAT SYSTEM FOR MOVING RESOURCES AROUND AND GETTING THEM HERE WHEN E NEED THEM.

>> Eric: WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT A CAUSE OR CAUSES FOR THESE BLAZES?

>> ALL THREE FIRES ARE STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION.

SO, AGAIN, OUR PRIMARY FOCUS RIGHT NOW IS ON SUPPRESSION.

WE DO HAVE INVESTIGATORS THAT ARE LOOKING INTO THE CAUSES.

>> Cathy: SAY, I'M NOTICING, PATTY, GREEN-UP IS UNDERWAY ACROSS THE NORTHLAND, BUT IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, LIKE IT IS DOWN HERE IN SOUTHERN MINNESOTA.

I WAS TALKING TO A FRIEND, SPRUCE BUDWORM HAS BEEN JUST AWFUL, YOU KNOW THAT, IN THE NORTHERN FORESTS.

AND THIS LITTLE CRITTER HAS REALLY DEFOLIATED AND KILLED SO MANY TREES, THEY LOOK LIKE MATCH STICKS.

IS THAT REALLY SOME OF THE ISSUE THAT WE'VE GOT GOING ON HERE, BEYOND, OF COURSE, HAVING FIRE DANGER?

>> IT CERTAINLY IS.

SPRUCE BUDWORM IS A NATURALLY OCCURRING PEST.

WE'VE BEEN GETTING HIT HARD BY SPRUCE BUDWORM OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.

IT REALLY HAS DETRIMENTAL EFFECT ON BALSAM FIR AND BALSAM FIR, WHEN IT'S DRY AND DEAD, IS KIND OF A LADDER FIELD THAT ALLOWS FIRES TO GO UP INTO THE CANOPY.

WE'VE ALSO HAD A LITTLE BIT TOUGHER TIME IN BEING ABLE TO CLEAR AREAS WHERE THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF SPRUCE BUDWORM KILL BECAUSE SOME OF THE MARKETS IN FOREST INDUSTRY IN MINNESOTA THAT HAVE USED BALSAM FIR HAVE MOVED OUT AND, SO, WE DON'T HAVE -- WE DON'T HAVE THAT TOOL IN OUR TOOLBOX LIKE WE USED TO.

>> Cathy: SO, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT THE DNR CAN DO ABOUT SPRUCE BUDWORM AT ALL?

OR NOT?

>> YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE CHECKERBOARD OF OWNERSHIP AND WE CAN DO -- I KNOW THAT THERE'S SOME GROUPS THAT ARE GETTING SOME GRANTS TO BE ABLE TO MANAGE THESE LANDS.

IT'S AN EXPENSIVE ENDEAVOR WHEN WE DON'T HAVE THE TOOL OF TIMBER HARVEST TO BE ABLE TO UTILIZE THOSE PRODUCTS.

>> Eric: LOOK OUT FOR THE WEEKEND, WHAT DO YOU THINK?

>> WE'RE THANKFUL IT'S LIKELY TO REMAIN FAIRLY COOL AND HUMID OVER THE WEEKEND, AND EVEN INTO MONDAY, LATER ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY IT'S GOING TO START DRYING OUT AGAIN, AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S PROBABLY GOING TO BE FAIRLY DRY AND WARM FOR ABOUT A WEEK, WEEK AND A HALF AFTER THAT.

AND, SO, WE REALLY NEED PEOPLE TO BE VIGILANT WITH ANY FIRE, WHETHER IT'S A CAMPFIRE, WHETHER IT IS -- IF WE GET TO A PLACE WHERE WE'RE PERMITTING DEBRIS PILES AGAIN, SMOKING OUTSIDE, ANY OF THESE THINGS CAN CAUSE A FIRE, AND WE REALLY DON'T WANT TO HAVE ANY MORE OF THESE THIS YEAR.

>> Eric: PATTY THIELEN, THANK YOU SO MUCH