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.
