April 1 – Multiple fire departments from across the Iron Range battled a house fire in Virginia early this morning. The fire was reported around 1:30 a.m. in the 100 block of 7th Street South by a Minnesota State Trooper who was in the area at the time. Arriving firefighters found the main level of the two story vacant house engulfed in flames. Because of the intensity of the blaze, firefighters first engaged in a “defensive attack.” Once the heavy fire was knocked down, crews engaged in an “interior attack” and took care of anything inside that was still burning. The first departments on the scene included: Virginia, Mountain Iron, Eveleth, and Hibbing. A Second Alarm was called in, which brought firefighters from Gilbert, Fayal Township, and Pike-Sandy-Britt (PSB). The Eveleth and Biwabik ambulance services were put on standby to cover EMS calls in the area while PSB firefighters were stationed at the Virginia Fire Department. No injuries were reported and the house was vacant at the time. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Virginia Fire Marshal and the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office. The house had been the scene of an arson fire last year.
