Northern Minnesota's Fire & Rescue Journal
March 27 – Firefighters from three departments (Pike-Sandy-Britt, Cook, Kinney-Great Scott) battled a house fire late this afternoon in the 9500 block of St. Louis County Highway 65 near Lake Leander. The house was engulfed in flames when crews arrived. No one was home at the time. The house was a total loss. The cause of the fire is under investigation. No injuries were reported.
There was a house fire on the Bois Forte Reservation on March 24. As it turned out, this was a fatal fire involving 66 year old Gordon Adams Jr., who perished in the blaze. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Bois Forte Police Department.
March 18 – Biwabik, Lakeland, and Gilbert firefighters participated in ice and water rescue training this evening at Embarrass Lake near Biwabik. Photos submitted by the City of Biwabik Fire Department.
March 19 – The Eveleth Police Department announced today that the victim in a fatal trailer house fire in Fayal Township has been identified as 66 year old Raymond Eugene Jarve. The fire was in the 4200 block of Clyde Road on February 14. The Fayal, Eveleth, and Gilbert fire departments were dispatched when the burned down remains of the trailer house were discovered. Jarve’s body was found in trailer debris. According to Eveleth Police, the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
March 18- The Hibbing, Chisholm, Keewatin, and Virginia fire departments were dispatched late this evening to a wood stove fire in Hibbing. The fire was reported around 11:10 p.m. in the 11000 block of State Highway 37. A nearby pole building had minor exterior damage. No injuries were reported.
March 17 – A mine viewpoint near the Mesabi Bike Trail in Virginia was extensively damaged by fire early this morning (Sunday). The fire was reported around 1:05 a.m. in the Finntown area (1st Avenue and 3rd Street North). While the fire was quickly extinguished by Virginia firefighters, large part of the structure had burned away. The viewpoint area has been taped off as a safety hazard. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The official news release from the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department about the house fire yesterday (March 16) in the City of Rice Lake.
March 14 – The Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office has identified the victim of a fatal house fire which occurred on February 25 in Morse Township near Ely. According to a news release from the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department, the victim was 77 year old Carol Lindbeck, the owner and lone occupant. The fire was in the 1400 block of Grant McMahan Boulevard. Arriving firefighters tried to locate Lindbeck, but encountered heavy smoke conditions. Her body was later located after the fire was extinguished. Investigators determined that the fire, which started near the fireplace, was accidental. The blaze was fought by crews from Morse-Fall Lake, Ely, and Babbitt.
As part of The Northland Fire Wire’s continuing fire prevention efforts, here’s a Wildland Fire Prevention tip from Eric Garman, Assistant Fire Chief for the Embarrass Region Volunteer Fire Department.
March 10 – A wildland fire in Clinton Township kept firefighters from Clinton, Cherry, and the Minnesota DNR busy this afternoon. The fire call came in around 3:00 P.M. in the 9200 block of the Keenan Road. A Clinton Fire Department official told The Northland Fire Wire that the fire consumed around 10 acres of grassland and a dozen hay bales. No injuries were reported and the cause is under investigation.
