“All we have is each other”: Residents push forward over a year after Minnesota fire

BRIMSON, Minn. (InvestigateTV) - In May 2025, about 30 miles north of Duluth, a 27-year-old man decided to have a campfire.The weather was record warm, windy and dry with Red Flag warnings in place.That campfire grew into the Camp House fire, torching thousands of acres of forest and more than 180 homes, cabins and outbuildings.In the year since, the devastated residents of Brimson have gotten an unwanted crash course in disaster recovery.What they learned -- don’t rely on leaders in St. Paul and Washington, D.C. for help. Rely on each other.As flames began ripping across the terrain, Diane Knaffla enjoyed what she thought was a beautiful day outside her home of 36 years.“I’m sitting under the big trees here and next thing I know my brother and nephew are tearing up the driveway, ‘Diane you gotta get out of here there’s a forest fire’”, said Knaffla. “I walked out in front of the house. I didn’t smell smoke, but when I looked that way it was orange smoke.”Fifteen minutes later, the she