Dear Neighbors, The climate crisis is not a distant threat—it's unfolding across our Northland communities right now. Our hearts are with everyone forced to evacuate, everyone breathing hazardous air, and everyone working tirelessly to protect our communities from the devastating wildfires burning across the Superior National Forest, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, and Canada. Right now, over 70,000 acres have burned, with zero percent containment, and many remote Canadian First Nations communities have been left devastated. Last night's rain brought some temporary relief, but officials warn it won't be enough to end this emergency. Wildfires continue to threaten lives, homes, and our sacred wilderness across northern Minnesota. I'm deeply grateful to the firefighters, first responders, park rangers, Tribal Nations, many Minnesotans, and our Canadian neighbors who are working around the clock. Thanks to their extraordinary efforts, more than 6,000 people have been safely evacuated. Governor Walz declared and extended a peacetime emergency, Executive Order 26-08, authorizing continued state assistance and support for 30 days. While Minnesota has received federal fire management assistance to support wildfire response, there has not been a presidential Major Disaster Declaration for individual disaster assistance. Many families and communities continue to rely on local organizations, neighbors, and mutual aid support as they navigate displacement, relief, and recovery. Wildfire smoke continues to blanket Duluth, St. Louis County, and much of Minnesota. Overnight, Duluth's Air Quality Index exceeded 1,100, reaching an extraordinarily hazardous level. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has expanded its Air Quality Alert to include the Twin Cities, central and northern Minnesota, and Tribal Nations. This level of air pollution is dangerous for everyone. This hazardous air pollution has spread across the majority of our state, leaving Minnesotans to deal with sweltering heat and humidity as they also struggle to breathe the air around them. We are now seeing this smoke affect millions of people across our neighboring states like Wisconsin and Michigan all the way to the East Coast. Some safety steps and precautions to consider: - Reduce trips and stay indoors when possible.
- Keep windows and doors closed.
- Drink plenty of water.
- Limit outdoor activity.
- Wear a well-fitting N95 mask or P100 respirator, if you must be outside.
- Check on elders, neighbors, outdoor workers, pets, and loved ones.
Thank you to St. Louis County and community partners for opening cleaner indoor air spaces for residents across North and South St. Louis County (including multiple locations in Duluth). Wildfire smoke continues to impact air quality across St. Louis County. If you need a break from the smoke, several community spaces are open to provide cleaner indoor air. For a full list and more information, please visit @StLouisCountyMNPublicHealth on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1PZ7zR5k4w/. For real-time updates and emergency resources: State and local agencies, Tribal Nations, and emergency partners continue to coordinate response efforts and deploy resources to communities impacted by these wildfires. Additional information and support resources for Duluth and surrounding communities will be shared as they become available shortly. This remains a fast-moving situation, and conditions can change quickly. Please rely on official sources, and don't hesitate to contact my office if you need help connecting with resources. It's incredibly smoky out there. Please continue checking on your elders, neighbors, workers, pets, and loved ones. Take care of yourselves, and take care of each other, Northland. ? Duluth Legislative Post-Session Town Hall A big shout out to everyone that came out for our Legislative Town Hall the other week. There are so many issues impacting our community, and that was evident by the wide range of important conversations we had with our neighbors. |