Editor's Note: This story was updated at 2:30 p.m. May 19 to include the latest information from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources on the origin point of the fire.
CROSSLAKE — The Flanders Fire reached 60% containment by Monday evening, May 18, and remained at approximately 1,666 acres.
The Minnesota Incident Command System reported fire crews had another successful day of work at the site of the fire in Mission Township, between the cities of Crosslake and Crosby. Weather conditions helped, with higher relative humidity, cooler temperatures and lighter winds.
About a half-inch of rain fell across the area overnight into Tuesday morning, according to observers with the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network, or CoCoRaHS. Crews are expected to return to work on securing and improving the fire lines again on Tuesday.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources reported Tuesday afternoon it identified the origin point of the fire as the northern shore of Flanders Lake. The agency said it also identified people of interest, and asked for the public's help with the investigation.
Crow Wing County Sheriff Eric Klang posted a social media update on Monday night from the command center inside Crosslake Fire Department.
"We are really lucky to have all these folks behind us," he said. "They have done a phenomenal job. They've come from all over. We've had people from Canada, all the way down to Pierz, Bemidji, Frazee.
"We just can't thank them enough for all the effort they've done and helped out during this fire."
As firefighters continued to build firebreaks and douse smoldering stumps and brush on Monday, members of the Crow Wing County Drone Team assisted from above. They used drones with infrared technology to search for remaining hot spots.
No primary residences burned down as a result of the Flanders Fire, although the siding melted on some homes. Garden sheds and other outbuildings burned down in the blaze, although how many succumbed has not been identified.
One home damaged in the fire is at Roberts Cattle Ranch on the 16000 block of County Highway 11. The home shared by Larry Roberts and his partner Linda Hill has melted siding, a melted fence and smoke damage inside.
Residents were allowed to return to their homes for the day Monday, but asked not to stay as crews continued to ensure the fire was controlled. The evacuation orders are expected to be lifted by noon Tuesday, according to MNICS. County Highway 11 reopened to the public at noon Monday. The sheriff's office asked the public to only travel on the road if they had a legitimate reason to be there.
"Please do not come into the area out of curiosity or to observe the fire activity," the sheriff's office stated on social media. "Keeping unnecessary traffic out of the area helps ensure the safety of both the public and emergency responders and allows crews to continue their work efficiently."
According to the National Interagency Fire Center, the estimated cost of the fire to date as of Tuesday, May 19, is $1.5 million.
The Crow Wing County Board declared a local emergency on Sunday and will have an emergency meeting Wednesday to vote on extending the emergency. A declaration of local emergency invokes necessary portions of the county’s emergency response and recovery plan, which authorizes aid and assistance under those plans, the county reported. This allows the county to act more quickly to gain funding and assistance for residents and local businesses.
The declaration is also the first step toward acquiring fire management assistance grants and state public disaster funding from Minnesota Homeland Security and Emergency Management. County officials and affected municipalities are actively conducting damage and impact assessments.
There was an outpouring of community assistance, with local resorts offering displaced homeowners places to stay, area residents offering their horse pastures to horses needing to evacuate, area restaurants offering free meals to responders and much more. The Crosslake Fire Department on Sunday night posted on social media that the community has stepped up in a powerful way.
"We have been flooded with donations of food, water, supplies, and countless offers to help. Your generosity, kindness, and willingness to support those impacted means more than words can express," the post stated. "At this time, we would encourage everyone to slow down on donations as we currently have what we need. We are continuing to assess needs as things develop and will communicate if additional support is needed."
The nonprofit organization Lakes Area Heroes established a fund for people to donate in support of firefighters and other emergency personnel. As of Tuesday morning, it raised just over $17,000.
Bridges of Hope, another area nonprofit, acted as the donation host and coordinating partner to support the households affected by the fire.
