June 19 – Three Ely area fire departments were dispatched this morning (Sunday) to a house fire in Morse Township. The fire was reported around 10:30 a.m. in the 3100 block of the Van Vac Road. Heavy smoke and flames were seen by the arriving fire crews. No injuries were reported, but the home was extensively damaged. Fire departments responding to the fire included: Morse-Fall Lake, Ely, and Babbitt. The cause of the blaze is under investigation. Photo courtesy of the Morese-Fall Lake Fire Department.

June 18 – Hibbing, Chisholm, and Keewatin firefighters battled a garage fire tonight (Saturday) in Hibbing. The blaze was reported shortly after 6:00 p.m. in the 500 block of East 39th Street. Arriving crews found the garage engulfed in smoke and flames. The nearby house had heat and siding damage. The garage was extensively damaged. Hibbing fire officials told The Northland Fire Wire that no injuries occurred and the cause of the fire is under investigation by the Hibbing Fire Marshal.

June 18 – Multiple fire departments (Eveleth, Fayal Township, Virginia, Gilbert, Mountain Iron) were paged this evening to a house fire in Eveleth. The fire was reported around 7:45 p.m. in the 600 block of Hayes Street. Arriving firefighters found flames and smoke coming from the second story of the two story house. The fire also caused exterior damage to a nearby house. No injuries were reported. Two people were displaced by the blaze and The Northland Chapter of the American Red Cross was contacted for assistance. The Eveleth Ambulance Service was on the scene to provide medical standby. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

June 7 – Member of Minnesota Task Force 2 trained this afternoon in trench rescue at a demolition site in Virginia. The team consists of 35 members from the Virginia, Duluth, and Minnesota Air National Guard 148th fire departments. Minnesota Task Force 2 personnel are trained in: trench rescue, low/high angle rescue, and structure collapse rescue.

May 25 – An apartment in the southside area of Virginia was damaged by fire this afternoon. The fire was reported around 2:00 p.m. in the Arrowhead Apartment Agency building, located in the 1000 block of 2nd Avenue South. The fire was quickly knocked down by arriving Virginia firefighters, with damages contained to the apartment’s kitchen area. No injuries were reported. Fire departments dispatched to the fire besides the Virginia Fire Department were: Eveleth, Mountain Iron, and Hibbing. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Virginia Fire Marshal.

May 23 – Four Iron Range fire departments (Hibbing, Chisholm, Keewatin, Virginia) were dispatched this afternoon to a report of a roof fire at the Anytime Fitness building on 1st Avenue in Hibbing. The fire was reported around 2:50 p.m. Arriving crews saw smoke and flames on the roof. The fire was quickly extinguished and firefighters checked all adjacent businesses for possible fire extension. The fire was officially declared out at 3:20 p.m. Damages were contained to just the roof area although one business reported smoke and water damage. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Hibbing Fire Marshal’s Office.

May 22 – Firefighters from Hibbing, Chisholm, Keewatin, and Virginia were dispatched around 6:20 this morning to a report of a structure fire in downtown Hibbing. The fire was in the 1900 block of 4th Avenue East and involved a building containing six apartments. Hibbing Police officers arrived on the scene and evacuated the residents while firefighters found a fire on the first floor and quickly extinguished it. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Hibbing Fire Marshal’s Office.

May 15 – Firefighters from Hibbing, Chisholm, Cherry, Virginia, and Toivola were dispatched this evening to a barn fire in rural Hibbing. The fire was reported around 8:00 p.m. in the 10000 block of the Foss Road. The fire was contained to the exterior of one side of the structure. No injuries were reported, but three ducklings and a chicken perished. Damages are estimated around $8,000. It is believed that the cause of fire was accidental, however, the fire remains under investigation by the Hibbing Fire Marshal.

May 10 – The Virginia City Council has unanimously approved Scott Fredrickson as Interim Fire Chief of the Virginia Fire Department. Fredrickson, who serves as Deputy Fire Chief, has been with the department for 18 years. He takes over from Allen Lewis who left the department on May 5th to take a job in the private sector. Fredrickson told The Northland Fire Wire that he plans to be with the VFD for the next 11 years. The selection of a new fire chief currently rests with the city council’s personnel committee.

May 10 – Virginia EMS/Fire personnel were dispatched this morning (Wednesday) to a single vehicle crash in the city. The crash was reported around 7:00 a.m. at the intersection of 11th Street South and 6th Avenue. Crews first stabilized the vehicle so it would not roll over and then proceeded to cut the roof in order to remove the driver. The driver was transported to Essentia Health-Virginia with what appeared to be non-life threatening injuries. The crash is under investigation by the Virginia Police Department.