May 12 – Mountain Iron, Virginia, Fayal Township and Eveleth firefighters were dispatched to a late morning fire in Mountain Iron. The fire was called in around 11:20 a.m. in the 8300 block of Gardenia Street. The fire was contained to the kitchen area. No injuries were reported, but two dogs perished. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department and the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office.

May 4 – Firefighters from four departments battled a huge house fire in Angora Township, south of Cook. The blaze was reported around 2:10 p.m. in the 8400 block of Highway 53. Arriving Cook firefighters found the home already engulfed in flames. Fire crews from Orr, Pike-Sandy-Britt, and Evergreen were also dispatched. The home is considered a total loss. No injuries were reported. The cause is under investigation.

April 14 – Firefighters from a number of eastern Iron Range fire departments spent Friday night battling a house and wildland fire on the Nikula Road in Embarrass Township. The blaze was reported around 8:20 p.m. Arriving crews found the unoccupied house partially involved, along with a grass fire near the structure. Firefighters from Embarrass, Pike-Sandy-Britt, Vermilion Lake, Babbitt and Aurora, along with Minnesota DNR were all on the scene. There were no reports of any injuries. The house was later determined to be a total loss.

April 12 – Firefighters from Hibbing, Chisholm, French Township and Virginia were dispatched to two late night fires at Hibbing Taconite. Shortly after 10:45, there was a report of a production truck fire at the mining operation. A few minutes later, a report came in of a fire at the pellet plant. The Hibbing Taconite fire brigade took care of the production truck fire while the other resources were directed to a fire in the electrical room on the third floor of the pellet plant. This fire was contained using dry chemical extinguishers. There were no injuries and firefighters remained on the scene for approximately two and a half hours. No damage estimates are available and the causes of both fires are under investigation.

The Northland Chapter of the American Red Cross is looking for community minded individuals who want to serve their neighbors in the region. In particular, with the recent rash of house fires, disaster volunteers are needed. “The Red Cross’s important assistance to offer immediate housing and other assistance to families who are impacted by a fire cannot be overstated,” said Virginia Fire Chief Allen Lewis. “The dedicated volunteers of the Red Cross are there to offer compassionate care and support to people whose lives have just been turned upside down. After the fire has been put out and the firefighters have returned to the fire station, the Red Cross remains with the affected individuals in helping them piece their lives back together.” Those interested in becoming a Red Cross volunteer should call the Northland Chapter of the American Red Cross at 218-722-0071.

During the early morning hours of March 25, a fire occurred in a semi truck parked in the shop area of the Diesel Mechanic’s Program at Hibbing Community College. The shop’s sprinkler system kept the fire contained and prevented major damage to the college. “As we saw at Hibbing Community College, sprinklers can be very effective at limiting fire damage,” said Minnesota State Fire Marshal Bruce West and Minnesota Fire Marshal Supervisor Jon Nisja. “Rather than experiencing a significant loss to its building and a major disruption in its ability to teach students, the college is operational after some relatively minor cleanup. Without sprinklers, Hibbing would be experiencing a substantial loss to one of the community’s assets.” According to West and Nisja, Minnesota experiences about 70 sprinkler saves each year, that equals about one every five days. Within the last week or so, there have been three sprinkler saves in the area, including apartment sprinkler saves in Hibbing and Grand Rapids. From 2004-2016, the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office reports 920 fire sprinkler saves in the state. “Each of these sprinkler saves represents someone’s building being saved, someone’s business being protected and more importantly, someone’s life being spared,” added West and Nisja. The graphic below illustrates where sprinkler saves have occurred.

The Virginia Fire Department has announced a determination into the cause of a duplex fire in the city’s Northside area. The blaze was reported around 8:10 a.m. in the 700 block of 11th Street North. Virginia Fire Marshal Chris Clark told The Northland Fire Wire that the cause was the improper disposal of smoking materials. The fire was fought by crews from Virginia, Mountain Iron, Eveleth and Gilbert. One person suffered smoke inhalation and was treated at a local hospital.