>> WE SURE WILL.

>> ERIC: GOVERNOR WALZ ANNOUNCED AN END TO THE STATE'S PEACETIME EMERGENCY FOR WILDFIRES IN AND AROUND THE BOUNDARY WATERS THIS WEEK.

DOZENS OF BUSINESS OWNERS ARE STILL URGING AN ECONOMIC RELIEF PACKAGE FROM STATE LEADERS.

MEANWHILE, MORE ENTRY POINTS HAVE OPENED FOR OVERNIGHT USE.

OUR OWN KAOMI LEE TRAVELED TO ELY TO TALK WITH SOME BUSINESS OWNERS AND CAMPERS RETURNING TO THE AREA.

>> Kaomi: ON A RECENT MORGUE, A GROUP OF SIX MEN GATHERED AT ELY OUTFITTING COMPANY.

THERE WERE THERE FOR A FOUR-DAY CANOE TRIP NTO THE BOUNDARY WATERS.

>> I'M HERE WITH MY BROTHER-IN-LAWS AND MY DAD AND MINNEAPOLIS UNCLE AND WE ARE HEADING OUT INTO THE BOUNDARY WATERS.

>> Kaomi: THEY WERE THE FIRST GROUP THE OUTFITTERS HAD SEEN IN WEEKS.

>> THIS IS THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY SUMMER FOR THE BUSINESS.

>> Kaomi: WHICH SHOULD BE SUMMER OF CELEBRATION HAS BEEN ANYTHING BUT.

>> WE'RE JUST STARTING TO GET CAUGHT UP ON OUR TRIP CANCELLATIONS.

>> Kaomi: NORMALLY AT THIS POINT OF YEAR, THE RENTAL GEAR IS NEARLY ALL OUT THE DOOR.

THIS YEAR, THE SHELVES ARE FULL.

>> THIS SHOULD BE THE BUSIEST TIME OF OUR BUSY SEASON.

YOU KNOW, I LOOKED AT OUR JULY YEAR OVER YEAR, AND OUR JULY, LAST I LOOKED WAS DOWN 65% IN SALES OVER LAST YEAR.

IT'S FAIR TO CALL IT AN ECONOMIC CRISIS FOR ELY BUSINESSES.

>> Kaomi: LOCAL BUSINESSES ARE STILL REELING FROM WEEKS OF LOST REVENUE FROM THE JULY 7TH LIGHTNING FIRES.

THE FIRES ENGULFED NEARLY 65,000 ACRES IN THE U.S.

THAT'S NEARLY TWO TIMES THE SIZE OF THE CITY OF ST.

PAUL.

AUTHORITIES CLOSED THE ENTIRE BWCA FOR TWO WEEKS IN JULY.

SOME PARTS HAVE JUST REOPENED.

FIRE EXPERTS CALL THIS ONE -- >> PERSISTENT, NAGGING ALMOST MAYBE.

SO SOME SIGNIFICANT GROWTH OVER THE 13, 4, 15TH TIME FRAME.

BASICALLY THE FOOTPRINT THAT IT LOOKS LIKE NOW.

WE'VE NOT SEEN A LOT OF FIRE SPREAD SINCE.

BUT THERE'S A LOT OF HEAT OUT THERE.

>> Kaomi: AT THE PEAK, MORE THAN A THOUSAND FIREFIGHTERS AND INTERAGENCY PERSONNEL WERE ON THE CENE.

GONZALEZ SAYS A SPRING DROUGHT AND A LAYER OF DRY UNDERBRUSH MADE FOR VULNERABLE CONDITIONS.

AND IT'S NOT OVER.

>> THIS COULD LIKELY BE ANOTHER MONTH, MONTH AND A HALF, TWO MONTHS OF HAVING TO WATCH THIS THING.

>> Kaomi: LAST WEEK'S TEMPORARY COOLDOWN AND RAIN HELPED.

70-YEAR-OLD BEAVER SEA PLAN STATIONED IN ELY ALSO SAW ACTION.

THEY HELPED MILLIONS OF GALLONS F WATER.

HOT SHOT CREWS TOOK PART IN RISKY OPERATIONS GOING DEEP INTO THE WILDERNESS WITH CANOES.

HUNDREDS LEARN TO CANOE FOR THE FIRST TIME.

>> THESE ARE VERY UNIQUE TOOLS.

THEY PROVIDE US A LOT OF ACTEDS TO DO THINGS THAT GROUND RESOURCES ACCOUNTS.

>> MORE THAN $40 MILLION HAS BEEN SPENT ON THE ENTIRE OPERATION.

NEARLY A THOUSAND STRUCTURES HAVE BEEN TREATED FOR PROTECTION.

RESIDENTS REGROUPED INTO ZONES, READY, SET AND GO.

>> WE'RE NOT A NON-PROFIT.

WE'RE NOT A BUSINESS.

WE JUST MET AT A COFFEE SHOP ONE MORN.

>> AN ALL-VOLUNTARY ELY COMMUNITY RESPONSE TEAM SPRAINING UP TO HELP EVACUEES AND OTHERS WITH RESOURCES.

>> WE SAW THAT THERE WAS EVACUATIONS HAPPENING AND HAT PEOPLE WERE LIKELY TO BE DISPLACED SO WE WANTED TO CREATE SOME KIND OF SYSTEM WHERE ALL PEOPLE'S OFFERS FOR HOUSING, FOOD, DROPPING OFF N-959 MASKS COULD BE CATALOGED, AND THEN AS NEEDS CAME IN, WE WERE ABLE TO MATCH THOSE NEEDS.

>> THERE WAS A GOOD WEEK OF SLEEPLESS NIGHTS.

>> Kaomi: ELY RESIDENT BETHANY CREATED A POSTER THAT REFLECTS THE CURRENT MOOD.

ELY STRONG HAS BECOME AN UNOFFICIAL MOTTO.

>> WE HAVE A UGE RANGE OF POLITICS HERE IN ELY.

BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER.

AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE'RE ALL NEIGHBORS.

>> Kaomi: THAT SENTIMENT SEEMED TO BE SHARED DESPITE BIG STATEWIDE RACES LOOMING, POLITICAL SIGNS WERE SCARCE.

>> MANY OF US ARE CONCERNED ABOUT ELY RIGHT NOW.

WHO YOU'RE FOR, OR WHO YOU'RE AGAINST.

WE ALL JUST NEED TO COME TOGETHER RIGHT NOW, MAKE SURELY ELY AND THE AREA IS OKAY.

>> Kaomi: EVEN AS SOME ACCESS POINTS REMAIN RESTRICTED, LOCALS SAY, THERE'S STILL PLENTY OF PLACES TO GET INTO A CANOE AND PADDLE.

>> I THINK IT'S STARTING TO PICK BACK UP A LITTLE BIT NOW WITH THE MESSAGE GOING OUT THAT ELY IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS, ELY IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS.

IT WAS VERY INTERESTING TO SEE THE IMPACT ON, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE COMING IN BEFORE AND AFTER.

>> Kaomi: LOCALS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE ECONOMY.

GOVERNOR WALZ CARRIED BUT DECIDED AGAINST CALLING FOR A SPECIAL SESSION.

>> EIGHT NOW I'M LUCKY TO EE ONE PERSON COME INTO THE STORE AND ASK SERIOUS QUESTIONS AND SHOW ME THAT THEY'RE A SERIOUS CUSTOMER.

>> Kaomi: THAT'S A DISAPPOINTMENT FOR REDFETED OUTDOORS, WHO SAW THEIR FOOT TRAFFIC EVAPORATE.

THEY SPECIAL MOLD CANOES MADE IN LA CROSSE, WISCONSIN, AND CAMPING SUPPLIES.

THIS IS THEIR FIRST YEAR HAVING A FLAGSHIP STORE IN ELY.

YOU RELY ON SEASONAL STAFF AND RIGHT NOW THOSE STAFF MEMBERS ARE OUT OF A JOB, AND ARE THEY ALL ABLE TO STICK AROUND?

>> Kaomi: RODNEY OF ROCHESTER AND HIS FAMILY DIDN'T HAVE TO CANCEL THEIR BWRA TRIP THIS YEAR, BUT THEY DIDN'T LEAVE FROM THEIR ORIGINAL ENTRY POINT.

>> I WASN'T WORRIED.

WE HAD A CONTINGENCY PLAN.

BUT WE THINGS THINK THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN, AND THEN WE GOT A CALL FROM THE OUTFITTERS THAT WE GOT PERMITS.

>> Kaomi: INSTEAD THEY DROVE AN HOUR AWAY TO NEWLY OPENED ENTRY POINT 34, ISLAND RIVER, THE TRIP WAS TO BE A BONDING EXPERIENCE.

AFTER A RECENT DEATH IN THE FAMILY.

AND A WAY TO HEAL IN NATURE.