April 9 – A home in Lakewood Township near Duluth was destroyed by fire this evening. Firefighters were dispatched shortly before 6:00 p.m. to the 3200 block of Beach Street. A family cat died in the fire. No human injuries were reported. The Lakewood, Duluth, Minnesota Air National Guard, Gnesen, Normanna, and Rice Lake fire departments responded to the call. The cause is under investigation by the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department and Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office. According to the sheriff’s department, foul play is not suspected.

April 5 – The Normanna Fire Department conducted a Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) training session today at its fire station. The training involved a three car crash with over 10 patients who had a wide variety of injuries. Nearly 50 first responders participated in the exercise, which made it both powerful and realistic, according to organizers. Some of the skills highlighted during the training involved: Incident Command, Triage, Auto Extrication, Interagency Communication, and Interoperability. Multiple agencies were involved (Clifton Fire Department, Duluth Township, Lakewood Township Fire Department, Gnesen Fire Department, Pequaywan Lake Fire Department, North Star Fire Department, Grand Lake Fire Department, Mayo Clinic Ambulance Service, St. Louis County Rescue Squad, St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department, St. Louis County Emergency Management, St. Louis County Dispatch, Chaplain Bob). “These trainings help ensure that we’re ready when real-life emergencies occur,” said one of the organizers.

April 6 – The Cook Fire Department has started the development of an ice rescue team, which will serve the department’s coverage area. In order to move the team forward, Cook firefighters participated in an ice rescue course held today at Longyear Lake in Chisholm. Department officials told The Northland Fire Wire that they are moving ahead with more training and the purchase of specialized equipment. The department covers a large part of Lake Vermilion as well as the Littlefork River.

April 1 – A woman and two dogs died, the result of a late night house fire in Ely. The.fire was reported shortly after 11:00 p.m. in the 200 block of North 5th Avenue East. Ely Fire Chief Dave Marshall said that smoke and flames were coming from the two story home when firefighters arrived. During a search, the woman was.found and transported by Ely Ambulance to.the Ely-Bloomenson Hospital where she later pronounced dead. The fire was contained to the basement and first floor. Marshall said firefighters encountered high heat, heavy smoke, and limited visibility throughout the house. Fire departments responding to the fire included: Ely, Babbitt, and Morse-Fall Lake. The Ely Police Department and St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department were also on the scene. The Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office is assisting in determining the cause of the fire.

March 31 – Hibbing fire officials say a home in rural Hibbing received a moderate amount of fire damage this evening. The fire was reported around 8:50 p.m. in the 2900 block of St. Louis County Highway 444. Firefighters from Hibbing, Cherry, Toivola, and Virginia were dispatched, with Virginia cancelled later while enroute. No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire is under investigation by the Hibbing Fire Marshal’s Office.

March 18 – Multiple agencies including EMS, fire, and law enforcement responded this morning to a report of a fire at the Dyno Nobel explosives plant located just south of Biwabik. The fire was reported around 10:45 with St. Louis County Communications announcing that the fire was in a wall in a storage building. St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department officials implemented a one mile evacuation zone around the plant as a precautionary measure. The fire was contained contained to a wood frame around an exhaust fan. No injuries were reported and the cause is under investigation. Fire departments responding to the incident included: Biwabik Township, Biwabik, Lakeland, and Fayal. Law enforcement agencies on the scene were: Gilbert Police Department, East Range Police Department, St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department, and the Minnesota DNR. Officials from St. Louis County’s Emergency Management Division provided on site assistance and the Biwabik Ambulance Service provided medical standby.

March 20 – Chisholm and Hibbing fire crews battled a chimney fire in 400 block of 7th Street Northwest. The fire was called in around 7:30 a.m. and was contained to the chimney. No injuries were reported. The Chisholm Ambulance Service provided medical standby at the scene.