The July 23rd fire at the former Idington church south of Cook was determined to be arson, A small fire was reported in the church and was quickly extinguished by Cook firefighters. The incident is under investigation by the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department and the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office. The church, which was vacant for a number of years, also served as a gift shop and cafe.

With summer in full swing in the area, here’s a friendly safety reminder from the Arrowhead Region’s fire departments and The Northland Fire Wire.

July 26 – Fire departments throughout the Arrowhead Region were kept busy tonight as a series of heavy thunderstorm moved through the area.  There were a number of reports of trees across powerlines.  No major fires were reported. 

July 23 – The Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office and the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department are investigating a small fire at the former Idington church, located on Highway 53, south of Cook.  The fire was reported around 6:20 p.m.  The church, which had also served as a gift shop and café, was vacant for a number of years and is scheduled for demolition.

July 23 – Firefighters from multiple fire departments were dispatched this afternoon to a large house fire in rural Gilbert.  The fire was reported around 2:30 p.m. on French Avenue East, which is just off of State Highway 37 between Eveleth and Gilbert.  The home was engulfed in flames when the first crews arrived. No one was home at the time. Fire departments on the scene included: Gilbert, Eveleth, Fayal Township, Virginia, Mountain Iron, Biwabik, Biwabik Township, and the Minnesota DNR.  The house is considered a total loss.

July 14 -A stove fire early this morning at the Irongate Apartments in Aurora sent one person to a local hospital.  The fire was reported around 6:15 a.m. when smoke was seen coming from a second floor apartment.  The building was evacuated and the male occupant of the apartment was taken by Hoyt Lakes Ambulance to a nearby hospital for treatment of possible smoke inhalation.  The Aurora, Hoyt Lakes, and Palo fire departments were on the scene.  No other injuries were reported. The East Range and Gilbert police departments also assisted in evacuating the residents. 

July 14 – Several fire departments responded early this morning to a report of a house filled with smoke in Lavell Township.  The fire was reported around 2:30 a.m. and arriving firefighters found a fire inside the house.  The lone occupant was able to escape without injury.  Firefighters from McDavitt, Clinton, Cherry, Toivola, and Hibbing were on the scene.  According to the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department, no damage estimate is available and no injuries were reported.

July 12 – The Hibbing Fire Department and the community paid their respects today to seven year old William “Will” Wright of Roseville, who passed away last week after a courageous battle with cancer. Will was an Honorary Hibbing Firefighter and was given the same honors given to a fallen firefighter. The funeral included a procession passed the Hibbing Fire Department headquarters building. While the fire department honored Will, the Virginia Fire Department provided EMS coverage to the community. Pictures courtesy of the Hibbing Fire Department.

July 10 – Over half a dozen Iron Range fire departments responded this afternoon to the United Taconite Fairlane Taconite Plant in Forbes. A small fire was reported shortly before 12:30 p.m. in a coal mill in the pellet plant. Fire departments responding to the facility included: McDavitt, Clinton, Cherry, Virginia, Hibbing, Fayal, Ellsburg, and Central Lakes. Cleveland Cliffs officials say that pellet production was not impacted and no injuries were reported. Some information courtesy of WDIO-TV.

July 8 – Multiple agencies responded late this afternoon to a water emergency at the Genoa Mine Pit near Gilbert.  A Duluth man suffered severe leg injuries while diving off the cliffs at the mine.  The man was transported by an ATV rescue trailer to an awaiting LifeLink medical helicopter and then airlifted to a Duluth area hospital.  The incident was reported around 5:00 p.m. Agencies responding to the scene included: Eveleth Ambulance, Virginia Ambulance, Gilbert First Responders, St. Louis County Rescue Squad, Gilbert Fire Department, Fayal Fire Department, Gilbert Police Department, Eveleth Police Department, and the Minnesota State Patrol.  The Gilbert Police Department is investigating the incident.