The Northland FireWire

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May 2 – A longtime vacant home in Morcom Township, southwest of Cook, is a total loss following a fire last night. The fire was reported around 5:30 p.m. on the North Airport Road, just off of St. Louis County Highway 22. Firefighters from Bearville, Cook, and French Township were on the scene. No injuries were reported.

May 2- Virginia firefighter/paramedics were dispatched this morning to a semi tractor trailer rollover on Highway 53, just south of the Rukavina Bridge. The crash was reported around 10:20 a.m. in the southbound lane. The driver was not injured. The truck was carrying scrap at the time. Traffic was reduced to one lane for almost six hours due to cleanup operations. The Minnesota State Patrol, Minnesota Department of Transportation, St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department, and Virginia Police Department provided traffic control at the scene.

April 22 – Fayal and Eveleth firefighters conducted wildland fire training in Fayal Township this evening. The training provided the opportunity for crews to observe wildland fire behavior and allowed them to conduct safe and effective firefighting operations.

April 16 – Chisholm firefighters spent some time this week training with the department’s newest aerial apparatus. The E-One Cyclone has a 95 foot platform and 2,000 gallon per minute (GPM) pump. The apparatus was purchased last August and delivered in October. Since its delivery, department members trained on the aerial throughout the winter. The apparatus is currently housed at the department’s firehall in Balkan Township and is ready for use. It will be permanently stationed at the new Chisholm Public Safety Building, which is scheduled to open in early June.

April 18 – A pole barn in rural Hibbing was destroyed by fire early this morning. The fire was reported around 2:10 a.m. in the 12000 block of Reid Road. The building was engulfed in flames when Hibbing firefighters arrived and was considered a total loss. The Silica Fire Department was also on the scene. Virginia and Keewatin firefighters were also dispatched, but later cancelled. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

April 16 – Firefighters from nine Iron Range fire departments (Hibbing, Chisholm, Keewatin, Cherry, Clinton, French Township, Mountain Iron, Kinney-Great Scott, Nashwauk) along with the Minnesota DNR battled a huge wildland fire this afternoon near the Mitchell Bridge, along Minnesota Highway 169 in Hibbing. The fire was reported around 1:00 p.m. Dry conditions and high winds pushed the blaze into a salvage yard and threatened the nearby C&L Distributing (Sunny Hill Distributing) warehouse. Several tire piles became engulfed in flames, resulting in large plumes of black smoke filling the sky. Several explosions were also heard. Traffic along the southbound lanes of Highway 169 was reduced to one lane through the efforts of Hibbing Police, Minnesota State Patrol, and the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Hibbing Fire Chief Erik Jankila, who was Incident Commander, directed the firefighting operations into a couple of sectors to maximize resources. Incident command was terminated around 5:30 p.m. The cause of fire is under investigation, but may have started from a power line.

The National Weather Service, because of high winds and dry conditions, issued a Red Flag Warning for northeastern Minnesota including: St. Louis, Lake, Cook, and Itasca counties.

April 14 – Fire destroyed a garage this morning in the Donnywood Acres area, north of Virginia. The fire was reported around 9:45 a.m. The garage was engulfed in flames when crews arrived. Departments on the scene included: Pike-Sandy-Britt, Mountain Iron, Virginia, and Cook. The garage is a total loss. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department and the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office. The Virginia Ambulance Service provided medical standby at the scene.

April 7 – An early afternoon fire caused extensive damage to the iconic International Falls Band Shell located in Smokey Bear Park. The fire was reported shortly after 1:00 p.m. Because the structure was made mostly of wood, the fire spread quickly and was difficult to bring under control. Fire crews were on the scene for five hours and according to the International Falls Fire Department, the cause of the fire was determined to be incendiary. The fire remains under investigation by the International Falls Fire Department, International Falls Police Department, and the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office.