BRIMSON, Minn. – Property owners are being temporarily allowed back into areas burned by wildfires in northeast Minnesota, fire officials said Friday as intermittent rain helped fight the blazes.

The Camp House Fire near Brimson hadn't grown overnight and the Jenkins Creek Fire's threat to the city of Hoyt Lakes had lessened, thanks in part to precipitation in the area, said Bob Reif, spokesperson for the Eastern Area Complex Incident Team, which is coordinating the firefighting efforts.

Gov. Tim Walz and U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith toured the burned areas Friday morning and were briefed at the Incident Command Center in Two Harbors.

At the briefing, crews and those gathered for a news conference cheered at the sound of hard rain pelting the metal roof.

Walz promised state and federal resources for recovery.

The fires were "fast-moving. They were incredibly destructive," he said, and are still burning. "This is going to be a fight over the coming days and potentially weeks," but the state and federal governments are committed to helping.

The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office is asking property owners affected by the Jenkins Creek and the Camp House fires to go to one of two checkpoints by 8 p.m. Friday, show proof of ownership and give an estimated time of return, Reif said.

Hugo's Bar, on Hwy. 44 in Brimson, is the Camp House Fire checkpoint; County Road 16 and Forest Hwy. 11, aka Superior National Forest Scenic Byway, is the Jenkins Creek Fire checkpoint.

While the Jenkins fire of more than 15,500 acres expanded on its northwest edge Thursday in the direction of Hoyt Lakes, Reif said rain has improved conditions and, for now, lessened the possibility of an evacuation order for the community of 2,000.

The Camp House Fire, about an hour north of Duluth, has destroyed nearly 150 structures and burned 15,000 acres. It was on pace to become the most property-destructive Minnesota wildfire in modern times.

The Jenkins Creek fire traveled 16 miles in two days, and endangered the small community of Skibo, said Cory Henry, operations section chief for the incident team.

"Mother Nature is the best defense we have," he said, referring to the off-and-on rain that came Thursday night.

Incident commander Brian Jenkins said at the briefing that the fires were typical of Minnesota wildfires, with wind driving them hard through forest fuel before cold and wet weather offered a reprieve.

Randy Freyholtz, chief of the Brimson Area Volunteer Fire Department, said on a tour of the fire's destruction that the 12-member department is mostly trained in structure fires. Fighting a wildfire in his community "has been a roller coaster," he said.

As the Camp House fire encroached on homes of those fighting the fire, "emotions were running a little high, but we maintained our professionalism and continued our duty," Freyholtz said.

A drive on Hwy. 44 where the Camp House fire blazed showed scorched earth, buildings reduced to rubble and charred vehicles. On some properties, homes were intact and a green lawn shared a border with a blackened landscape.

About 250 personnel are fighting the wildfires, collectively called the Brimson Complex. Resources have been readily available because of fewer wildland fires in the western half of the country, Henry said.

Meanwhile, the 1,600-acre Munger Fire, southeast of Cotton, Minn., was 25% contained, according to fire officials. Residents there also are allowed to return to their properties. The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office rescinded the evacuation and road closings ordered after the fire began Monday.

The National Weather Service said showers will continue in parts of northeast Minnesota through the afternoon, and could redevelop between 7 p.m. Friday and 1 a.m. Saturday.

The weather service lifted the red-flag warning for Minnesota, but any burning still is discouraged.

The causes of the fires remain under investigation.

Both Smith and Klobuchar promised to seek more support for the region, lauding efforts from local to national.

Northeastern Minnesota land is full of wetlands and often inaccessible, Smith said.

"It reminds us that it is complicated by fires in terrain like this," she said, and coordinating resources for such a region isn't easy.

Ways to help MN fire victims

United Way chapters in northern Minnesota organized relief funds for fire victims. They said they are partnering with the American Red Cross, county and local officials and other nonprofits in the region.

The United Way of Northeastern Minnesota has set up a donation page online in St. Louis County. Donations, with a note that they are for wildfire relief, also can be mailed to the organization at 608 East Dr., Chisholm, MN, 55719.

The Head of the Lakes United Way has a donation page online to help victims in Lake County. Donations also can be mailed to the organization at 314 W. Superior St., #750, Duluth, MN, 55802. Include a note to direct the donation to wildfire relief.

St. Louis County Sheriff Gordon Ramsay said those who lost homes and other property will need help with cleanup long after the fires are contained.