Northern Minnesota's Fire & Rescue Journal
February 18 -An early morning fire resulted in extensive damage to a large garage in Chisholm. The blaze was reported around 2:15 a.m. in the 500 block of 3rd Street Southwest. Heavy smoke and fire were seen coming from the garage when the first Chisholm firefighters arrived. They were able to quickly knock down the blaze. The Hibbing Fire Department was also dispatched, but was cancelled while enroute. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
February 19 – A late night fire in Hibbing caused an estimated $85,000 in damages. Hibbing, Chisholm, Keewatin, and Virginia firefighters were dispatched shortly after 11:00 p.m. to the 400 block of 41st Street East. Using an exterior fire attack at first, firefighters were able to quickly contain the fire to the attic area. Later, crews transitioned to an interior attack. No injuries were reported. The cause is under investigation by the Hibbing Fire Prevention Bureau, but is believed to be electrical in nature.
If you are interested in taking this training, please email the Colvin Fire Chief at the email address listed at the top or call him at the phone number posted.
February 8 – Five people were injured as a result of an explosion and fire at at house in the Buck Lake area, north of Nashwauk. Multiple agencies responded including: Nashwauk Fire, Keewatin Fire, Balsam Fire, Greenway Fire, Trout Lake Fire, and Grand Rapids Fire. EMS personnel from the Nashwauk and Hibbing ambulance services were also dispatched.
February 5 – Two people were transported by ambulance to the Virginia hospital, the result of a house fire in rural Mountain Iron. Fire crews were dispatched to the 5600 block of Oriole Avenue around 1:10 p.m. Arriving firefighters saw heavy smoke and flames coming for the house. Fire departments on the scene included: Mountain Iron, Virginia, Fayal, Pike-Sandy-Britt, Kinney-Great Scott, Clinton, and Cherry. Information about those transported and treated at the hospital is not available. Another person was evaluated at the scene for smoke inhalation. The house is considered a total loss. The Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire.
February 4 – Firefighters from Hibbing, Chisholm, Keewatin, and Virginia were dispatched this evening to a house fire in Hibbing. The fire was reported around 9:20 in the 2500 block of 13th Avenue East. Firefighters quickly contained the blaze to the first floor of the home. No one was home at the time and no injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation with assistance from the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office.
February 2 – Five fire departments (Orr, Cook, Buyck, Nett Lake, Crane Lake) battled a house fire in Willow Valley Township near Orr. The fire was reported around 1:40 pm in the 10,000 block of the Willow Valley Road. The house is a considered a complete loss. No injuries were reported. The Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire.
With cold weather in our region, our heating systems need to be operating at peak efficiency! A major concern during the winter heating season is the presence of Carbon Monoxide. Your area fire departments want to remind you of the dangers of this silent killer. Avoid a tragedy and make sure to install Smoke and Carbon Monoxide alarms.
Five members from Minnesota Task Force 2 were recently in Wisconsin to participate in confined space rescue training. The training was conducted at the REACT (Regional Emergency All Climate Training) Center, which is located at Camp Douglas, Wisconsin. The five participants, four from the Virginia Fire Department and one from the Duluth Fire Department, engaged in a number of confined space scenarios. ”The scenarious were challenging,” said Virginia Deputy Fire Chief Erik Jonassen. ”We certainly learned a lot from this training.” The REACT Center is considered one of the premier emergency response training facilities in the country. Minnesota Task Force 2 is a specialized urban search and rescue team made up of personnel from the Virginia, Duluth, and Minnesota Air National Guard 148th fire departments.
