November 3 – A 36 year old man from the Embarrass area faces numerous charges following a fire Tuesday night in Balkan Township, north of Chisholm. A garage and four vehicles were destroyed. The blaze was reported around 7:20 p.m. in the 5900 block of the Krogerus Road. A Chisholm Fire Department rescue truck, which was unoccupied and parked at the scene, was struck from behind by a pick-up truck travelling at a high rate of speed. The driver was immediately taken into custody. St. Louis County Sheriff’s officials say the suspect allegedly set the fire, was spotted by the garage owner, and then fled the scene. He later returned to the fire when he crashed into the rescue truck. Charges against the suspect include: arson, burglary, DWI, and reckless driving. No injuries were reported. “I’m very thankful that no one was injured when our truck got hit,” said Chisholm Fire Chief Chris Masucci. “We could have had some very serious injuries.” Firefighters from Chisholm, Hibbing, and French Township were dispatched to the fire. The cause of the fire is being investigated by the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office while the crash is under investigation by the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department.
