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.

July 6 – EMS and fire/rescue personnel from a number of agencies responded this evening to a report a building collapse at the Daisy Bay Resort, just off of Highway 77 in Greenwood Township near Tower.  The incident occurred shortly after 6:00 p.m.  A St. Louis County Sheriff’s official said a man was moving a 12 X 16 cabin when the building fell off the jacks, trapping the man underneath.  The man was extricated and taken by Tower Ambulance to a local hospital.  He was reportedly conscious and talking at the time he was transported.  The Greenwood Township, Tower, Virginia, and Pike-Sandy-Britt fire departments along with EMS personnel from Greenwood Township, Tower Ambulance Service, and the Virginia Fire Department were on the scene.  Some information for this story provided by WDIO-TV.

July 4 – Four Iron Range fire departments battled an early morning house fire in Aurora.  The fire was spotted by a city worker in the 100 block of North 3rd Avenue West around 5:45 a.m. An Aurora fire official told The Northland Fire Wire that all of the occupants were able to get safely out of the home.  The large house had extensive damage and a family cat perished in the blaze.  No other injuries were reported.  Firefighters from Aurora, Hoyt Lakes, Palo, and Biwabik were on the scene while the Hoyt Lakes Ambulance provided medical standby.  The cause of the fire is being investigated by the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office.

June 28 – The pilot and a flight nurse were killed early Friday morning when the North Memorial air medical helicopter they were in crashed at the Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport. The victims were identified as Tim McDonald, pilot, and flight nurse Deb Schott. The flight medic, Scott Duda, was taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Brainerd with unknown injuries, although authorities said he was talking at the scene. The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the cause of the crash, which occurred around 1:00 a.m.  There were no patients aboard the aircraft at the time.  The helicopter was reportedly returning from a call.

June 27-A building in downtown Biwabik was extensively damaged this evening when a car slammed into the building and went through the structure.  The crash was reported around 9:55 p.m. at 400 Main Street.  The driver of the car and a passenger were taken by Biwabik Ambulance to a local hospital with what were believed to be non-life threatening injuries.  Ambulances from Virginia and Biwabik were dispatched to the crash, along with a helicopter from North Memorial Hospital.  The Biwabik, Biwabik Township, and Lakeland fire departments were also on the scene.  The cause of the crash is under investigation by the Gilbert Police Department and the Minnesota State Patrol.