The Northland FireWire

May 14 – A Virginia police officer is being credited for knocking down a porch fire in Virginia this afternoon. Firefighters from Virginia, Eveleth, Mountain Iron and Hibbing were dispatched around 3:25 p.m. to a report of a structure fire in the 400 block of 6th Street South. Arriving firefighters found smoke coming from under the front porch area and that the police officer had put out most of the fire with an extinguisher. Virginia Fire Chief Allen Lewis commended the officer for his quick actions. “By knocking down the fire, he prevented it from spreading to the rest of the house,” said Lewis. No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

May 15 – Firefighters from three Iron Range departments were dispatched early this afternoon to an RV fire in Palo on Road 38. The fire, reported around 12:50 p.m., was quickly knocked down. No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire is being investigated. Fire departments responding to the call included: Palo, Lakeland, and Colvin. Photo: Lakeland Fire Department

May 11 – Ely and Babbitt firefighters were dispatched this afternoon to a report of a garage fire in Ely. The fire was reported at 2:25 p.m. in the 200 block of West Chapman Street. Arriving Ely fire crews found a single car garage totally engulfed in flames. The fire was quickly knocked down, but the garage and an older MG convertible car were a total loss. No injuries were reported. The cause was determined to be a mechanical issue with the vehicle. Because of safety concerns, the garage was demolished by employees from the Ely Public Works Department. Agencies assisting at the scene included: Ely Police Department, St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department, US Border Patrol, and Ely Public Utilities. Photo courtesy of the Ely Fire Department.

April 17 – One shed was destroyed and another damaged in a grass fire this afternoon in Kelsey Township. The fire on the Kelsey-Whiteface Road scorched about an acre of land. No injuries were reported. The cause is under investigation. Departments on the scene included: Kelsey, McDavitt, Cotton, and the Minnesota DNR.

April 3 – Virginia, Eveleth, and Mountain Iron firefighters battled a house fire late this afternoon in Virginia’s Northside area. The fire was reported around 5:15 p.m. in the 600 block of 15th Street North. It appears the fire started in the back porch of the house and spread to the porch roof and part of the attic area. The fire was quickly knocked down and firefighters checked for further fire spread. No injuries were reported. The Hibbing Fire Department was also dispatched to the call as part of the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS), but the department’s aerial ladder and crew were turned back. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Virginia Fire Marshal’s Office.

April 1 – Virginia fire officials report that a sprinkler contained a cooking fire in a Virginia public housing building last weekend. The incident was reported on Sunday, March 28, around 1:15 p.m. at Ivy Manor, 201 5th Avenue North. A tenant met arriving firefighters outside the building and said he had a cooking fire that was extinguished by a sprinkler. The sprinkler save was confirmed by the fire department. No injuries were reported and one tenant was displaced. This is the third sprinkler save in two years at the Ivy Manor Complex. The building was retrofitted with sprinklers in January, 2017 as part of a multi-million dollar renovation project.

April 1 – Rossi Gangl is the new Hibbing Fire Marshal. Gangl is a seven year member of the department and had previously served as an engineer/paramedic. She began her new position on Monday, March 29. Gangl recently assisted Virginia Fire Marshal Chris Clark and the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office in the investigation of the 202 Apartment Building fire in Virginia. Hibbing Fire Chief Erik Jankila told The Northland Fire Wire that he has high hopes for Gangl. “Rossi will be a great Fire Marshal. She shows the enthusiasm and drive that will bring her through the credentialing process,” said Jankila. “She has already completed many of the required educational pieces of her job and she did this on her own prior to being promoted. In addition, over the years, she worked with our previous Fire Marshal Bryan Fagerstrom. Her well rounded experience will help her and the fire department carry on the strong foundation that Bryan left us with.” Gangl will continue to serve as a firefighter/paramedic when the situation warrants it.

March 22 – An explosion and fire destroyed a garage in West Eveleth this morning. The Eveleth, Fayal Township, Mountain Iron, and Virginia fire departments were dispatched shortly after 7:30 a.m. to the 300 block of 17th Avenue West. Arriving crews found one garage destroyed with fire spreading to another garage and nearby shed. One person was transported by the Eveleth Ambulance, with Virginia paramedics on board, to a local hospital with burns. Firefighters immediately went on a defensive fire attack by using at least two ground master streams to keep the fire from spreading. The blaze was so intense that a large nearby pine tree burst into flames. No other injuries were reported. The Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire.

March 20 – A late morning fire destroyed a home in Clinton Township. The fire was reported around 11:15 a.m. in the 4100 block of Peary Road. A large part of the house was already engulfed in flames when Clinton firefighters arrived. Clinton Fire Chief Jim Theodore immediately radioed for resources from the Cherry, McDavitt, and Fayal Township fire departments. The fire spread through the entire house and even into the basement area. No injuries were reported. The Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office has been called in to investigate the cause of the fire.

February 5 – Virginia, Mountain Iron, Eveleth, and Hibbing firefighters were dispatched around 4:30 this afternoon to a report of an apartment house fire in the 600 block of 6th Street South. The fire was contained to a small area of an outside wall. No injuries were reported and the cause is under investigation.