Former Chisholm Fire Chief Bob Brown was recently elected as President of the Arrowhead Regional Firefighters’ Association. In the attached editorial, Bob outlines some of his hopes and challenges for the organization.
Virginia and Mountain Iron firefighters battle fire at local business
September 18, 2012 By
September 17 – The Virginia and Mountain Iron fire departments were dispatched this evening to a report of a structure fire at Kunnari’s Farmers Market, located on Virginia’s southside. Crews quickly contained the blaze, which was located in a storage type building. News media reports say the building was destroyed. Virginia Fire Chief Dan L’Allier told The Northland Fire Wire that the cause of the fire is under investigation.
Photo by Mike Zadra, Northland Fire Wire
The Northland remembers 9-11
September 11, 2012 By
The Hibbing Fire Department honored those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. A special presentation was held this morning outside of Hibbing’s main fire station. HFD Captain Chris Petrack served as the MC for the event, which included prayers, a short re-count of the events which occurred on September 11, and the ringing of a bell, which was symbolic of New York firefighters returning to their fire stations.
Chisholm FD responds to gas leak.
September 8, 2012 By
September 8 – The Chisholm Fire Department was dispatched around 8:00 a.m. to a report of a gas smell behind a downtown business on West Lake Street. A broken gas line was discovered and shutdown. Firefighters were on the scene for about an hour.
New Arrowhead Regional Firefighters’ Association President Elected
September 8, 2012 By
A familar person has emerged as the new President of the Arrowhead Regional Firefighters’ Association. Former Chisholm Fire Chief Bob Brown was elected to the position during the organization’s regular meeting on September 6 in Rice Lake. Brown takes over from Ron Minter, who will serve as Vice President. The meeting had about 30 in attendance.
Investigation Continues On Eveleth Apartment House Fire
September 1, 2012 By
The Eveleth Fire Department and Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office are continuing their investigation into the August 25th blaze which caused extensive damage to an Eveleth apartment house. The fire was reported shortly before 2:30 p.m. at 524 Hayes Street. Firefighters from Eveleth, Fayal Township, Gilbert Mountain Iron and Virginia were dispatched to the fire. No injuries were reported. Two families were displaced. Three cats were rescued.
Three Iron Range Fire Departments Battle Bridge Fire
July 17, 2012 By
July 12 – Firefighters from Pike-Sandy-Britt, Vermilion Lake and Embarrass, along with support from the Minnesota DNR and U.S. Forest Service battled a bridge fire in Pike Township, north of Virginia. The fire was reported around 2:30 p.m. on the West Saari Road. The blaze was so intense that it caused a major part of the wood bridge to collapse. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation, but officials believe it is arson.
Minnesota Energy Holds “live fire” Training in Eveleth
May 31, 2012 By
Firefighters from across the eastern Iron Range had a unique opportunity to participate in some “live fire” training conducted by Minnesota Energy. The training allowed fire personnel to learn how to deal with natural gas fires. Firefighters from Aurora, Palo, McDavitt, Makinen, Virginia, Lakeland, Fayal, Mountain Iron and Eveleth took part in the training. The Eveleth Fire Department served as the host for the event.
Makinen takes delivery of new tender
April 3, 2012 By
The Makinen Fire Department has purchased a new water tender. The apparatus is powered by a Cummins ISC 350 engine with a 2,000 gallon tank, 500 GPM Waterous pump and a Foam Pro 1600 foam system. The tender also carries a 2,500 gallon drop tank. The cost of the apparatus was $227,000. The tender was manufactured by Toyne, Inc. of Breda, Iowa.
Massive Fire Damages or Destroys Five Structures in Virginia
February 6, 2012 By
January 23 – A spectacular early morning fire destroyed or damaged five structures near downtown Virginia. Virginia and Mountain Iron firefighters were dispatched just after 5:00 a.m. to a report of smoke and flames coming from the Grande Ace Hardware warehouse located on Railroad Avenue and 2nd Street South. The blaze quickly spread to another warehouse, a mini storage building, a house and a garage apartment. Firefighters from Eveleth, Gilbert, Fayal Township. Clinton Township, Cherry Township, Pike-Sandy-Britt, Kinney-Great Scott and U.S. Steel were also dispatched to the scene. No injuries were reported, but damages were expected to exceed $500,000. Four people were displaced by the fire. The cause of the blaze is under investigation by the Virginia Police Department and the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office.
Photos by Mike Zadra of The Northland FireWire
