October 14 – A late morning fire destroyed a sauna/boathouse in Greenwood Township. The blaze was reported around 10:00 a.m. in the 3100 block of Nisen Drive. The structure was engulfed in flames when crews arrived, with the fire threatening two nearby cabins. No injuries were reported. Departments on the scene included: Greenwood, Tower, Breitung Township, Cook, Vermilion Lake, Embarrass. Eagles Neat, and Ely. The Tower Ambulance Service was on the scene to provide medical standby.

Fire departments across the region spent the week visiting area schools and talking to students about fire prevention and fire safety.

October 11 – A rural Eveleth man is dead, the result of a late morning house fire in the Central Lakes area. 63 year old Dale Wallander was severely burned during a fire at his residence, located in the 7100 block of the Antoinette Road. Emergency medical personnel from Eveleth and Virginia provided life saving measures. Wallander was then flown from the fire scene by the LifeLink 6 medical helicopter to a Twin Cities hospital for more specialized care. Firefighters from Central Lakes, Makinen, Colvin Township, Fayal Township, Ellsburg, Lakeland, and Palo battled the house fire. The house was a total loss. The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department, with assistance from the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office, continues to investigate the cause of the fire. The Sheriff’s Department, Eveleth Police Department and Minnesota State Patrol assisted at the scene by securing a landing zone for the medical helicopter.

September 30 – Cook firefighters were dispatched early this morning to a house fire in Cook. The blaze was reported around 3:40 a.m. in the 200 block of 1st Avenue N.W. The house was engulfed in flames when the first firefighters arrived. According to the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department, the house was vacant at the time and is a total loss. The Pike-Sandy-Britt and Kinney-Great Scott fire departments were also dispatched, but cancelled while enroute. The Cook Ambulance Service provided medical standby at the scene. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department and the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office.

Construction work is well underway at the new Virginia Public Safety Building. The building, located along Second Avenue South, will house the Virginia Fire Department and Ambulance Service, along with the Virginia Police Department. The cost of the project is put around $33 million.

The investigation continues into a recent fire in Solway Township. The investigation involves the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office and the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department. Here’s the official news release.

September 28 – Dozens of residents from the Hibbing area took part in this year’s Open House hosted by the Hibbing Fire Department. City officials were also present to explain the need for a new public safety building which would house the police department, ambulance service, and police department.

Multiple public safety organizations ranging from the Hibbing Fire Department to area ambulance services to the Hibbing and Virginia hospitals participated in a training exercise held Wednesday, September 25, at the Range Regional Airport in Hibbing. The exercise involved a passenger plane crash involving 40 victims. Responding fire personnel had to deal with a simulated fire while medical crews had to triage and transport the patients. The emergency departments at the hospitals were also put on standby to handle the influx of crash victims. According to Hibbing EMS Coordinator Kristi McCormick, a number of lessons were learned from the exercise. “The unified command system involving multiple responders worked well,” said McCormick. “Pre-planning for an event like this is also extremely helpful.” McCormick also credited the various organizations which took part. “Nursing students, members of the Minnesota Wilderness NA3HL hockey team, and others volunteered to be victims,” she said. Nearly 20 groups participated and the Pizza Ranch in Hibbing provided food after the drill concluded.

September 26 – Five fire departments (Cotton, Ellsburg, Central Lakes, Kelsey, Grand Lake) were dispatched late this morning to a pole barn fire in the Cotton area. The blaze was reported around 11:45 in the 7100 block of the Bug Creek Road. The building was engulfed in flames when crews first arrived and was a total loss. The cause is under investigation.