April 14 – Five Nashwauk area fire departments battled a house fire in Nashwauk this morning. The blaze was called in around 10:15 in the 300 block of 3rd Street. A renter in the home was evaluated on the scene by personnel from the Nashwauk Ambulance Service. The two story house was extensively damaged while two nearby houses had damage to exterior sidings. The Nashwauk, Keewatin, Hibbing, Greenway, and Trout Lake fire departments were on the scene, along with the Nashwauk Ambulance Service, which provided medical standby. Traffic control was provided by the Nashwauk and Keewatin Police Departments, as well as the Itasca County Sheriff’s Department. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

April 11 – Ely fire officials have identified the victim of the fatal house fire in Ely earlier this month. The blaze on April 1 at 254 North 5th Avenue East resulted in the death of 64 year old Diane Larson. According to an Ely Fire Department news release, the cause of the fire was determined to be accidental.

April 9 – A home in Lakewood Township near Duluth was destroyed by fire this evening. Firefighters were dispatched shortly before 6:00 p.m. to the 3200 block of Beach Street. A family cat died in the fire. No human injuries were reported. The Lakewood, Duluth, Minnesota Air National Guard, Gnesen, Normanna, and Rice Lake fire departments responded to the call. The cause is under investigation by the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department and Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office. According to the sheriff’s department, foul play is not suspected.

April 5 – The Normanna Fire Department conducted a Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) training session today at its fire station. The training involved a three car crash with over 10 patients who had a wide variety of injuries. Nearly 50 first responders participated in the exercise, which made it both powerful and realistic, according to organizers. Some of the skills highlighted during the training involved: Incident Command, Triage, Auto Extrication, Interagency Communication, and Interoperability. Multiple agencies were involved (Clifton Fire Department, Duluth Township, Lakewood Township Fire Department, Gnesen Fire Department, Pequaywan Lake Fire Department, North Star Fire Department, Grand Lake Fire Department, Mayo Clinic Ambulance Service, St. Louis County Rescue Squad, St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department, St. Louis County Emergency Management, St. Louis County Dispatch, Chaplain Bob). “These trainings help ensure that we’re ready when real-life emergencies occur,” said one of the organizers.

April 6 – The Cook Fire Department has started the development of an ice rescue team, which will serve the department’s coverage area. In order to move the team forward, Cook firefighters participated in an ice rescue course held today at Longyear Lake in Chisholm. Department officials told The Northland Fire Wire that they are moving ahead with more training and the purchase of specialized equipment. The department covers a large part of Lake Vermilion as well as the Littlefork River.

April 1 – A woman and two dogs died, the result of a late night house fire in Ely. The.fire was reported shortly after 11:00 p.m. in the 200 block of North 5th Avenue East. Ely Fire Chief Dave Marshall said that smoke and flames were coming from the two story home when firefighters arrived. During a search, the woman was.found and transported by Ely Ambulance to.the Ely-Bloomenson Hospital where she later pronounced dead. The fire was contained to the basement and first floor. Marshall said firefighters encountered high heat, heavy smoke, and limited visibility throughout the house. Fire departments responding to the fire included: Ely, Babbitt, and Morse-Fall Lake. The Ely Police Department and St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department were also on the scene. The Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office is assisting in determining the cause of the fire.

March 31 – Hibbing fire officials say a home in rural Hibbing received a moderate amount of fire damage this evening. The fire was reported around 8:50 p.m. in the 2900 block of St. Louis County Highway 444. Firefighters from Hibbing, Cherry, Toivola, and Virginia were dispatched, with Virginia cancelled later while enroute. No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire is under investigation by the Hibbing Fire Marshal’s Office.