December 26 – The Virginia Fire Department is working to determine the amount of damage to the department’s Ladder 1 aerial apparatus. The ladder truck was involved in a two vehicle crash around 7:00 this evening at the intersection of US Highway 53 and 12th Avenue South in Virginia. The other vehicle, a small SUV, had extensive front end damage. The ladder truck is drivable and operational. No injuries were reported. The ladder truck and its crew were returning from an emergency call at the time. The crash was investigated by the Minnesota State Patrol.

December 8 – Four Iron Range fire departments (Virginia, Mountain Iron, Eveleth, Hibbing) were dispatched early this morning to a house fire in Virginia. The fire was reported around 2:45 a.m. in the 1500 block of 11th Street South. Arriving firefighters contained the fire to one bedroom. The occupants were able to safely evacuate the house and no injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Virginia Fire Marshal’s Office.

Spring, Summer, Winter, or Fall; fire hydrants are critical to firefighting operations. During the winter, it is very important to keep them clear of snow. Here’s some good advice from the region’s fire departments.

December 3 – HIbbing and Chisholm firefighters were on the scene at Meadowview Apartments in Hibbing following a report of a fire in the building. Crews discovered what had been a small fire in some furniture in a third floor apartment. No injuries were reported. The incident was reported around 2:00 p.m. Firefighters were on the scene for about an hour. The Chisholm and Virginia departments were also dispatched, but later cancelled. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Hibbing Fire Marshal’s Office.

The Winter Heating Season is well underway and with it comes the possibility of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning. Make sure your furnace is in top operating condition and that you have a Carbon Monoxide detector.

November 27 – A late morning fire destroyed three vehicles north of Chisholm. The fire was reported around 11:05 a.m. in the 6300 block of the Dewey Lake Road. Initially dispatched as a recreational vehicle (RV) fire, arriving Chisholm firefighters found two RV’s and a car on fire. No injuries were reported and the cause of fire is under investigation.

With the colder weather, ice has started to form on area lakes and rivers. Here’s some ice safety information from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

November 12 – Hibbing fire officials are estimating that last night’s fire at Yoder Building Supplies in downtown Hibbing caused an estimated $1.5 million in damages. The building is considered a total loss. No civilian or firefighter injuries were reported. This morning, Hibbing fire crews continued to douse the smoldering remains of the huge building, formerly known as Erickson Lumber. The cause of the fire is being investigated by the Hibbing Fire Marshal and the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office.

November 11 – Multiple fire departments from across the Iron Range battled a large fire this evening in downtown Hibbing. Shortly after 9:00 p.m., the Hibbing, Chisholm, Keewatin, and Virginia fire departments were dispatched to Yoder Building Supply, located in the 1800 block of 3rd Avenue East. Arriving crews saw heavy smoke and flames coming from the building and started a defensive attack. The Mountain Iron, Nashwauk, Fayal Township, Eveleth and Grand Rapids departments were also dispatched and were on the scene. At the height of the blaze, three aerial apparatus (Hibbing, Virginia, Grand Rapids) were in operation. No injuries have been reported. The building is considered to be a total loss. The Hibbing Fire Marshal’s Office and the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s will be investigating the cause of the fire. During the fire, several teenagers brought bottled water to the crews. “This was a great act of kindness,” said one Chisholm fire officer.