January 13 – A trailer house in Hibbing was destroyed by fire this evening. The blaze was reported around 7:45 P.M. at the Birchlane Trailer Court, just off of 41st Street East. Arriving firefighters found the trailer engulfed in flames when they arrived. The Hibbing, Chisholm, and Keewatin fire departments were on the scene, while the Virginia Fire Department was enroute and later cancelled. The trailer house was vacant at the time and is considered a total loss. No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire is under investigation by the Hibbing Fire Marshal’s Office.

January 8 – The Virginia Department handled 4,670 calls in 2023. The information was released today by fire department officials. The department had 4,165 EMS related calls with another 505 calls related to fire and rescue responses. Regarding fire calls, 24 involved 1 or 2 family dwelling fires and 17 were multi family dwelling fires.

The Northland Fire Wire congratulates Jim Sallis of the Hibbing Fire Department on his recent promotion to Battalion Chief. Sallis worked his way through the ranks, plus being President of Local 173 of the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF). Sallis (left) is pictured with Hibbing Fire Chief Erik Jankila. He began his new duties on January 1st. Photo: Hibbing Fire Department.

Cancer has become a leading cause of death for firefighters. The good news is that in many cases, it can be prevented. If you’re a firefighter who has questions or concerns about cancer, the Minnesota Firefighter Initiative (MnFIRE) is ready to help.

January 8 – Chisholm firefighters battled a fuel oil truck fire this morning on Highway 169 near Buhl. The fire was reported around 9:45 A.M. in the eastbound lane. Arriving firefighters quickly knocked down the fire and kept it contained to the rear section of the truck. The vehicle was carrying 1,400 gallons of fuel oil at the time. Fire officials told The Northland Fire Wire that there were no leaks. The Chisholm Police Department, St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department and Minnesota State Patrol closed down the highway and diverted traffic away from the fire scene for about an hour. No injuries were reported. The Mountain Iron Fire Department was also dispatched, but was cancelled while enroute.

The City of Hibbing has a new Fire Marshal. Shawn Nickila began his new position on January 2nd. He had previously served as a Batallion Chief. Nickila (right) is pictured with Hibbing Fire Chief Erik Jankila.

December 31 – The Hibbing, Chisholm, Keewatin and Virginia fire departments were paged out this afternoon to a structure fire in Hibbing. The fire was reported around 2:50 P.M. in the 3700 block of 4th Avenue East. An ATV inside a garage caught fire, but was pulled outside by the homeowner. The ATV was a total loss while the garage had minor damage. Hibbing firefighters remained on the scene for a short time, while the other department were cancelled while enroute. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

December 31 – The Chisholm Fire Department was dispatched this evening (Sunday) to a report of a structure fire in Balkan Township. The call came in around 8:40 P.M. in the 6000 block of Krogerus Road. A Chisholm Fire Department official said that the homeowner was feeding a wood boiler in a garage when it flashed, causing the trusses to start on fire. Using a garden hose, the homeowner was able to keep the fire from spreading. Arriving Chisholm firefighters conducted mop up operations and checked for hot spots. Only minimal damages were reported.

January 1 – The Embarrass Regional Volunteer Fire Department responded to 91 calls last year. According to fire department officials, approximately 85% of the calls were EMS related while the remaining 15% were fire responses. ERVD officials said that work on a wildland/rescue truck is nearing completion. Another project involves increasing the department’s static water supply by an additional 10,000 gallons to a total of 30,000 gallons. The ERVFD serves Embarrass, Waasa, Kulger, and White townships, along with several unorganized townships.