November 5 – A 37 year old woman and her 12 year old son were severely burned in an explosion and fire at a cabin/hunting shack in Balkan Township, north of Chisholm. The fire was reported around 10:45 A.M. in the 11600 block of Countryside Lane Northeast. Although badly burned, the two victims were able to walk to a neighbor’s house. The Chisholm and Hibbing ambulance services transported both to the Hibbing hospital. The two were later taken by fixed wing medical aircraft to the Hennepin Burn Center in Minneapolis. The names of the victims have not yet been released pending notification of family members. According to the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department, a 20 lb propane tank and heater were being used at the time to heat the cabin and caused the explosion and fire. The building was a complete loss. Departments responding to the incident included: Chisholm, French Township, Hibbing, and Buhl. The cause of the explosion and fire remains under investigation by the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department and the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office.
