July 5 – Over a dozen Iron Range fire departments were on the scene of a large house fire in the northside area of Virginia. The fire was reported around 11:20 a.m. in the 700 block of 11th Street North. Just prior to the arrival of Virginia firefighters, a Virginia police officer used a neighbor’s ladder to rescue a toddler and two adults from the roof of the front porch. One Virginia firefighter was treated on the scene for heat exhaustion as temperatures on the fire scene were in the low 90’s. The house is deemed a total loss and houses on each side were damaged. Fire departments responding to the fire besides Virginia included: Mountain Iron, Eveleth, Fayal Township, Gilbert, Biwabik, Biwabik Township, Clinton, Cherry, Hibbing, Pike-Sandy-Britt, Cook, and Hoyt Lakes. The Eveleth and Biwabik ambulance services provided emergency medical services in the area and the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Rescue Squad assisted in providing rehabilitation services at the scene. The Virginia Fire Marshal’s Office and the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office are investigating the cause of the blaze.
