September 28 – Dozens of people from the Ely area took part in Ely’s Public Safety Open House. The event featured the fire department, law enforcement agencies, St. Louis County Rescue Squad, Minnesota DNR, and the Ely Ambulance Service.

September 25 – Eight fire departments from across Itasca County battled a huge blaze this afternoon at the former Connor-Jasper Middle School in Bovey. A large part of the complex was already engulfed in smoke and flames when the first crews arrived. Aerial apparatus from Grand Rapids and Hibbing were also dispatched to the fire. Huge roof sections of the building collapsed and fires could be seen burning on several floors. In order to maintain a consistent water supply, water tenders were filled at nearby Trout Lake. Departments on the scene included: Trout Lake, Greenway, Grand Rapids, Nashwauk, Taconite, Cohasset, Warba, and Hibbing. The Meds-1 Ambulance Service provided medical standby at the scene.

September 15 – The Kinney-Great Scott Fire Department got some good news this week from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The department will be receiving $309,523 for the purchase of a fire apparatus. The funding is from the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program.

September 14 – Emergency personnel from several Iron Range communities responded this afternoon to a report of a boat, trailer, and pickup truck completely submerged in Ely Lake near Gilbert. The incident was reported around 2:50 at the public landing on Cedar Island Drive. The male driver, who was backing up the trailer and boat, was able to get out of the pickup truck with no injuries. He was checked out by EMT’s from the Eveleth Ambulance Service. Armory Towing of Mountain Iron, with the assistance of two divers, was able to recover the pickup, trailer, and boat. Agencies on the scene included: Gilbert Police, Eveleth Police, Gilbert Fire Department, Eveleth Ambulance Service, and Gilbert First Responders. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency was also notified of the incident because of a fuel spill resulting from the incident.

August 16 – A vacant house in Virginia’s southside area was extensively damaged by fire early this morning. The fire call same in around 5:15 in the 100 block of 8 1/2 Street South, resulting in Virginia, Eveleth, Mountain Iron, and Hibbing firefighters being dispatched. The house was extensively damaged. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation. The house is one of over two dozen structures scheduled to be demolished to make way for Virginia’s new public safety building.

August 15 – Mountain Iron firefighters had a unique opportunity this evening to train on firefighter survival skills. The training took place at the Virginia Fire Department’s confidence building course located in the city’s southside. Under the watchful eye of VFD Training Chief Tiffany Larson, firefighters went through several exercises ranging from moving through extremely tight entrances to working their way through wires that could entangle them. All of the training was based on real life situations which occurred at fires throughout the country.

August 15 – Virginia, Eveleth, Mountain Iron, and Hibbing firefighters were paged this morning to a report of a house fire in Virginia. The alarm came in around 7:30 in the 100 block of 3rd Street South. Arriving Virginia firefighters discovered that there were some curtains on fire and the fire was extinguished by a resident. Firefighters ventilated the apartment house. No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire is under investigation by the Virginia Fire Marshal’s Office.

August 14 – A garage in Chisholm was destroyed by fire this afternoon. The blaze was reported around 1:30 in the 500 block of 6th Street Southwest. Chisholm and Hibbing firefighters were dispatched to the fire. The garage was a total loss. No injuries were reported. The Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office was called in to investigate the cause of the fire. The Chisholm Ambulance Service provided medical and rehabilitation services at the scene.

August 8 – Firefighters from Virginia, Eveleth, Mountain Iron, and Hibbing were dispatched around 1:00 this afternoon to a report of a vehicle fire in the Midway area of Virginia. The fire was on Merritt Drive, just off of Midway Drive. When crews arrived, the vehicle was engulfed in flames with the fire spreading to a nearby garage. Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire and then checked for possible extension to the garage and a nearby house. The vehicle is considered a total loss with the garage and house having exterior damage. No injuries were reported.

July 25 – Paramedic/fighters from the Hibbing Fire Department (RedShift) practiced their ladder skills this morning. During all training exercises, firefighter safety is strongly emphasized. According to the Hibbing Fire Department, it is essential to be proficient in laddering a building quickly and safely and being able to operate tools and saws while maintaining a good footing on the ladder. Today’s training was conducted by Captain Warner and Battalion Chief Sikich.