June 22-A late afternoon fire destroyed a vacant house in Vermilion Lake Township and damaged  a nearby former trailer house.  The blaze was reported around 4:45 p.m. on the Wiseman Road. The house was already engulfed in flames when crews arrived.  The Vermilion Lake, Pike-Sandy-Britt, Embarrass, and Tower fire departments were dispatched to the fire.  No injuries were reported and the cause is under investigation.

June 21-Firefighters from Hibbing, Chisholm and Keewatin were dispatched to a house fire in 1100 block of 16th Avenue East in Hibbing.  The fire was reported around 12:10 p.m. and apparently started in the basement and spread to the first floor of the house.  No one was home at the time, but two cats and a dog perished in the blaze.  The cause of the fire is under investigation.

June 8 – Seven Iron Range fire departments were dispatched Saturday evening to a house fire in Clinton Township.  The fire was reported around 7:10 p.m. in the 4000 block of Macon Road.  The occupants were able to get out safely and no injuries were reported.  The cause of the fire is under investigation.  The State Fire Marshal’s Office is assisting in determining the cause of the fire.  Departments on the scene included: Clinton, Cherry, McDavitt, Fayal, Mountain Iron, Eveleth, and Hibbing.

June 8 – Firefighters from several Iron Range fire departments took part in regional training today in Biwabik Township.  The training dealt with such topics as: water supply, hose lays, and pump operations.  Departments participating included: Biwabik Township, McKinley, Eveleth, and Virginia. 

June 2 – Gilbert, Eveleth, and Fayal Township firefighters were dispatched this afternoon to a report of smoke near and in the Anthem, Inc. building in Gilbert.  The incident was reported shortly before 4:00 p.m.  After a thorough investigation, it was determined that the smoke came from a nearby outside fire.  Crews were on the scene for less than hour.

June 2 – Firefighters from Aurora, Palo, and Lakeland, along with crews from the Minnesota DNR and US Forest Service battled a wildland fire this afternoon in the Palo area, near Aurora.  The fire, which consumed 17 to 20 acres, was along the Trigstad Road.  The firefighting effort involved tracked vehicles and a helicopter. The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department shut down the road while fire operations were underway. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

May 25 – The Virginia and Hibbing fire departments participated today in the funeral for WWII veteran Dante Tini of Virginia.  Tini was with the battleship Oklahoma during the Pearl Harbor Attack on December 7, 1941 and was killed in action.  His remains were identified last year through DNA testing.  Tini’s funeral included services at the Holy Spirit Church in Virginia, along with a procession from the church through downtown Virginia to Calvary Cemetery for full military honors, along with a flyover by two jets from the 148th Minnesota Air National Guard.

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May 21 – Firefighters from nearly half a dozen agencies battled a wildland fire this afternoon and this evening in the Makinen area.  The fire was reported in the 3000 block of the Little Lake Road.  The firefighting effort involved two FireBoss aircraft, a helicopter, and a number of tracked vehicles.  The fire consumed about 70 acres.  Agencies on the scene included: Minnesota DNR, U.S. Forest Service, Makinen Fire Department, Central Lakes Fire Department, and Lakeland Fire Department.  The cause of the fire is under investigation.

May 17 – The region said “goodbye” to former Hoyt Lakes Fire and Police Chief Steve Stoks, who was tragically killed in a garbage truck accident earlier this week in Biwabik. Public Safety personnel from throughout the region gathered at the Assembly of God Church in Aurora for funeral services.  Beforehand, a procession of emergency vehicles made its way from the Hoyt Lakes Public Safety Building to the church.  Chief Stoks had served the East Range for more than 32 years as a firefighter, EMT, and law enforcement officer.