The firewood bin in front of the Grand Marais Holliday is empty and features a fire restrictions poster.  Submitted photo

By Jim Boyd, Executive Director of the Cook County Chamber of Commerce - August 19, 2021

The threat of wildfire in Cook County has seldom been more serious. Most of the county is now officially classified as suffering "extreme drought." Not that far away in Lake County, the Greenwood fire continues to expand at a rapid rate. A portion of the BWCA has been closed because of fire, as has the backcountry in Quetico Provincial Park. The managers of the Superior National Forest are working hard to enforce the complete fire ban on the forest they put in effect on July 9. 

In the face of this serious threat, many Cook County businesses are demonstrating impressively responsible civic leadership, putting public safety ahead of concern for their pocketbooks.   Resorts, retailers, firewood suppliers, hotel operators and others, from one corner of this large county to the other are pulling together to confront this fire threat.

Many firewood purveyors have stopped sales -- at both the wholesale and retail level. Retailers  also have pulled from their shelves fire starting equipment and materials. Still others have shut down operations that, while not prohibited, might pose a fire danger -- such as property maintenance and tree cutting. And businesses too numerous to count are making awareness of the fire danger a prominent part of the information they convey to their customers. 

All of these businesses deserve our applause.  This is responsible business leadership of the first order. And of course we would expect nothing less because this is, after all, Cook County.