The Northland FireWire

June 21 – Firefighters from across Minnesota honored St. Paul Fire Captain Chris Parsons today. Parsons, who served as President of the Minnesota Professional Fire Fighters (MPFF) and Vice President of the Minnesota Fire Service Foundation, along with other organizations, passed away last week after being stricken the weekend before. Parsons’ passing is considered a Line Of Duty Death (LODD), as he had been on duty and at a fire call 24 hours prior to his medical emergency. Governor Tim Walz ordered flags across the state to be flown at half staff in respect of Parsons’ dedication to the fire service.

June 22 – Virginia firefighters spent Wednesday night and this morning at the site of a gasoline spill in Virginia. The incident was reported around 8:15 P.M. at the Lucky 7 General Store on Hoover Road. An undetermined amount of gasoline was discharged from a tanker truck. Virginia firefighters worked to contain the spill, secured the immediate area, and monitored the situation. Fire crews remained on the scene until about 8:30 this morning. Clean up operations by private contractors will continue for most of the day. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency was informed of the spill and is investigating the incident. No injuries were reported.

June 12-13 – Members of Minnesota Task Force 2 spent time in Virginia practicing their skills in Low and High Angle Rope Rescue. The training took place at various locations in the city including the ”Honda Hills” mine dump, Virginia fire station, and the Virginia Public Utilities plant. ”We’re very happy to be training with our partners on the task force,” said Duluth Deputy Fire Chief Rob Morehouse. ”This training helps us to maintain our operational capabilities.” The training was provided by instructors from the Regional Emergency All-Climate Training (REACT) Center at Volk Field at Camp Douglas, Wisconsin. Minnesota Task Force 2 is a specialized statewide Urban Search and Rescue team (USAR). It has about 40 members from the Virginia, Duluth, and the Minnesota Air National Guard 148th fire departments. Task Force 2 has responded to a number of incidents in the region ranging from the partial roof collapse at the Miller Hill Mall in Duluth to a mine pit rescue in Virginia.

June 14 – An apartment house in Virginia was extensively damaged by fire early this morning. The blaze was reported about 2:30 A.M. in the 200 block of 2nd Street North. Firefighters from Virginia, Eveleth, Mountain Iron, and Hibbing battled the blaze. No injuries were reported. The Virginia Fire Marshal is investigating the cause of the fire.

June 7 – The Gilbert Fire Department has a new aerial apparatus. The 2023 Pierce Saber has a 75 foot ladder, 1500 GPM Waterous midship pump, 500 gallon booster tank and foam capabilities. Following extensive training by Gilbert firefighters, the aerial went into service on May 26.

June 7 -Clinton Township, Cherry Township, McDavitt Township and Mountain Iron firefighters battled a house fire this evening in Clinton Township. The fire was reported shortly before 7:30 P.M. in the 4400 block of the Cobb Road. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

June 7 – Ground and air crews from the Minnesota DNR battled a remote wildland fire today in Portage Township near Buyck. The fire was reported off the 7700 block of the Hoffman Road. Four Fire Boss aircraft and at least two helicopters were involved in the aerial fire attack while several tracked vehicles were also deployed. The size Of the fire was reportedly around 18 acres. The Buyck Fire Department also assisted in the firefighting effort. Crews are scheduled to return to the fire area tomorrow (Thursday) to continue mop-up operations.

May 31 – Four Iron Range fire departments, along with the Grand Rapids Fire Department were dispatched this morning to a report of a fire at the Meadowview Apartments on 9th Avenue West in Hibbing. The first dispatch, around 7:10 A.M., originally came in as an automatic fire alarm. As units were responding ,reports began coming in about smoke and heat in one of the buildings in the apartment complex. Arriving firefighters discovered an active fire on the third floor. Around 100 people in the building were impacted and some were sheltered from the warm weather in buses from Shubat Transportation and Tactran, Inc. No injuries were reported. Fire departments on the scene included: Hibbing, Keewatin, Chisholm, and Virginia. An aerial ladder from Grand Rapids was cancelled while en route. The Northland Chapter of the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army are assisting residents. The Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Hibbing Fire Department are investigating the cause of the fire.

May 30 – Firefighters from Balsam Township, Nashwauk, and Keewatin were dispatched this evening around 8:00 to house fire in the 37000 block of the Northview Road. The second floor of the house was extensively damaged. The Nashwauk Ambulance was also on the scene. The cause of this fire remains under investigation.

May 27 – Fire crews from the Morse-Fall Lake Fire Department, Minnesota DNR, and U.S. Forest Service battled a wildland fire near the Lucky Ponds area near Ely. The fire consumed about 20 acres along the Taconite Trail. Four Fire Boss aircraft and a Chinook helicopter were used in the aerial fire attack, while ground crews were also involved. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. The Taconite Trail was closed for a couple of days, but has since reopened.