February 24- Multiple fire departments were paged this morning to a large house fire near downtown Virginia. The blaze was reported around 9:10 a.m. in the 100 block of 1st Street South. One house was heavily involved in flames when Virginia firefighters arrived. A nearby house had extensive exterior damage. Virginia Fire Department officials told The Northland Fire Wire that no injuries were reported, but several pets were unaccounted for. Seven fire departments were on the scene including: Virginia, Eveleth, Mountain Iron, Hibbing, Gilbert, Pike-Sandy-Britt, and Fayal Township. “This fire was tough to fight because it was in a large structure and apparently had advanced quite rapidly before we arrived,” said Virginia Fire Chief Allen Lewis. “We also had to deal with sub-zero weather and that puts a great deal of strain on the firefighters and equipment. We are thankful that the nearby Fayal Fire Department has a rehabilitation trailer, which was extremely beneficial in this fire.” The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Virginia Fire Marshal’s Office with assistance from the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office.
