The Northland FireWire

Five members from Minnesota Task Force 2 were recently in Wisconsin to participate in confined space rescue training. The training was conducted at the REACT (Regional Emergency All Climate Training) Center, which is located at Camp Douglas, Wisconsin. The five participants, four from the Virginia Fire Department and one from the Duluth Fire Department, engaged in a number of confined space scenarios. ”The scenarious were challenging,” said Virginia Deputy Fire Chief Erik Jonassen. ”We certainly learned a lot from this training.” The REACT Center is considered one of the premier emergency response training facilities in the country. Minnesota Task Force 2 is a specialized urban search and rescue team made up of personnel from the Virginia, Duluth, and Minnesota Air National Guard 148th fire departments.

Cancer is a leading cause of death of firefighters. Cancer can be prevented and help is available for those who have it. In Minnesota, we have MnFIRE.

January 7 – Six fire departments (Clinton, Cherry, McDavitt, Fayal, Central Lakes, Mountain Iron) battled a garage and house fire in Clinton Township this morning. The fire was reported around 5:45 in the 8400 block of the Wildland Road. Arriving firefighters found the attached garage engulfed in flames with the blaze spreading to the house. The garage is a total loss, with the home having extensive damage. No injuries were reported and the lone occupant of the home was able to safely evacuate the residence, according to a Clinton Fire Department official. The Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire.

Here’s a really great New Year’s Resolution for everyone. Practice Fire Safety every day. Be careful when cooking! Test your smoke and CO alarms monthly. Use caution with all kinds of fire from wood stoves camp fires. Let’s all work together to prevent fire tragedies in 2023,

December 26 – The Virginia Fire Department is working to determine the amount of damage to the department’s Ladder 1 aerial apparatus. The ladder truck was involved in a two vehicle crash around 7:00 this evening at the intersection of US Highway 53 and 12th Avenue South in Virginia. The other vehicle, a small SUV, had extensive front end damage. The ladder truck is drivable and operational. No injuries were reported. The ladder truck and its crew were returning from an emergency call at the time. The crash was investigated by the Minnesota State Patrol.

December 8 – Four Iron Range fire departments (Virginia, Mountain Iron, Eveleth, Hibbing) were dispatched early this morning to a house fire in Virginia. The fire was reported around 2:45 a.m. in the 1500 block of 11th Street South. Arriving firefighters contained the fire to one bedroom. The occupants were able to safely evacuate the house and no injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Virginia Fire Marshal’s Office.

Spring, Summer, Winter, or Fall; fire hydrants are critical to firefighting operations. During the winter, it is very important to keep them clear of snow. Here’s some good advice from the region’s fire departments.

December 3 – HIbbing and Chisholm firefighters were on the scene at Meadowview Apartments in Hibbing following a report of a fire in the building. Crews discovered what had been a small fire in some furniture in a third floor apartment. No injuries were reported. The incident was reported around 2:00 p.m. Firefighters were on the scene for about an hour. The Chisholm and Virginia departments were also dispatched, but later cancelled. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Hibbing Fire Marshal’s Office.