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June 7 -Ground and air resources have been brought into the region to take on wildland fires in the region. The fire danger over the last couple of days has ranged from High to Extreme.

May 30 – An early morning fire in Colvin Township destroyed one cabin and extensively damaged another. The fire was reported around 4:00 a.m. in the 2300 block of West Cabin Circle. Initial reports said one cabin was fully engulfed with the fire spreading to a nearby cabin. No injuries were reported, but a family dog perished in the blaze. Firefighters from Colvin, Makinen, Lakeland, Palo, and Aurora responded while the Hoyt Lakes Ambulance Service provided medical standby at the scene. The Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire.

May 27 – The investigation continues into the cause of this evening’s house fire in the 300 block of 1st Street North in Virginia. The fire was reported around 7:30 p.m. Firefighters contained the fire to the kitchen and living room areas. A woman occupant was taken by Virginia ambulance to a local hospital for evaluation of possible smoke inhalation. No other injuries were reported. The Virginia, Eveleth, Mountain Iron, Gilbert, and Hibbing fire departments were dispatched, with the Hibbing aerial ladder truck being cancelled. The Virginia Marshal’s Office is in charge of investigating the fire.

May 23 – An early morning fire touched off by an exploding transformer destroyed four structures on Waters Island on Burntside Lake near Ely. The fire was reported around 5:15 a.m. A Morse-Fall Lake fire department official told The Northland Fire Wire that the transformer fire spread to a nearby boathouse/summer residence and then to two other cabins and an out building. Two residents were treated near the scene for possible smoke inhalation by the Ely Ambulance Service. Firefighters from Morse-Fall Lake, Ely, Babbitt, and the US Forest Service battled the blaze. No other injuries were reported.

May 15 – A large garage and a nearby trailer home were destroyed in a late night fire in Cook. The blaze was reported around 10:55 p.m. in the 200 block of First Street Southeast. The garage was already engulfed in flames and the fire had spread to the trailer home. The occupant of the house and his dog were safely evacuated. Cook firefighters fought the blaze for several hours. No injuries were reported and the cause is under investigation. The Cook Ambulance Service provided medical standby at the scene and the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department provided traffic control.

May 14 – A Virginia police officer is being credited for knocking down a porch fire in Virginia this afternoon. Firefighters from Virginia, Eveleth, Mountain Iron and Hibbing were dispatched around 3:25 p.m. to a report of a structure fire in the 400 block of 6th Street South. Arriving firefighters found smoke coming from under the front porch area and that the police officer had put out most of the fire with an extinguisher. Virginia Fire Chief Allen Lewis commended the officer for his quick actions. “By knocking down the fire, he prevented it from spreading to the rest of the house,” said Lewis. No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

May 15 – Firefighters from three Iron Range departments were dispatched early this afternoon to an RV fire in Palo on Road 38. The fire, reported around 12:50 p.m., was quickly knocked down. No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire is being investigated. Fire departments responding to the call included: Palo, Lakeland, and Colvin. Photo: Lakeland Fire Department

May 11 – Ely and Babbitt firefighters were dispatched this afternoon to a report of a garage fire in Ely. The fire was reported at 2:25 p.m. in the 200 block of West Chapman Street. Arriving Ely fire crews found a single car garage totally engulfed in flames. The fire was quickly knocked down, but the garage and an older MG convertible car were a total loss. No injuries were reported. The cause was determined to be a mechanical issue with the vehicle. Because of safety concerns, the garage was demolished by employees from the Ely Public Works Department. Agencies assisting at the scene included: Ely Police Department, St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department, US Border Patrol, and Ely Public Utilities. Photo courtesy of the Ely Fire Department.

April 17 – One shed was destroyed and another damaged in a grass fire this afternoon in Kelsey Township. The fire on the Kelsey-Whiteface Road scorched about an acre of land. No injuries were reported. The cause is under investigation. Departments on the scene included: Kelsey, McDavitt, Cotton, and the Minnesota DNR.