November 16 – Half a dozen Iron Range fire departments were dispatched this afternoon to a report of a fire in the lower level at the Virginia Public Utilities power plant. The fire was reported around 2:45 p.m. with initial reports that three to four employees were unaccounted for. Virginia firefighters quickly located the employees, who were safely. A small fire was discovered and quickly extinguished. No injuries were reported. Fire departments responding to the fire included: Virginia, Eveleth, Mountain Iron, Hibbing, Gilbert, and Pike-Sandy-Britt. “This could have been a major incident,” said Virginia Fire Chief Allen Lewis. “Because this is a large building with a number of potential hazards, it was best that we initially called in more resources.” The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Virginia Fire Marshal.
