An 82 year old Aurora man, Donald Ray, died Wednesday afternoon in a house fire. The blaze was reported around 12:50 p.m. on North 2nd Avenue West. Neighbors and a police officer tried to rescue the man, but were driven back by intense heat and smoke. Firefighters from Aurora, Hoyt Lakes, and Palo were on the scene. The Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire. Special thanks to WDIO-TV for providing some of the information for this story.
Fatal house fire in Aurora, victim identified
August 2, 2017 By
Pequaywan Lake FD receives AFG award for apparatus
July 21, 2017 By
The Department of Homeland Security has announced that the Pequaywan Lake Area Fire Department will be receiving an Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) for the purchase of a fire apparatus. The federal share of the grant is $260,000. “We are just thrilled to be receiving this funding,” said fire department spokesperson Laura Ackman. The grant was announced today.
Minnesota State Fire Academy encourages teamwork, challenges students
July 16, 2017 By
The 2017 Minnesota State Fire Academy, held this past week at Camp Ripley, is now over, but the lessons learned during this grueling training program will impact the Minnesota Fire Service for years. One of those who knows that for sure is Chisholm firefighter Adam Lantz. Lantz, who is basically a rookie firefighter, was part of group of six firefighters at the academy known as Squad Four. For the entire week, Squad Four worked as a team through the various courses offered through the academy. “These men worked and trained very hard this week, from 5:15 in the morning to well after midnight, almost every day,” said Lantz. “We helped teach each other skills. We helped each other with our tasks at hand and we were able to accomplish our objectives.” The team spirit continued to develop with the squad members as the week progressed. “When one of us didn’t understand something or when someone was struggling with anything, there was always another member right there to work with them and help them get to the next level,” added Lantz.
The teamwork and leadership exhibited by Squad 4 did not go unnoticed. Academy instructors were carefully watching and evaluating each of the four squad groups. “We saw a lot of great things emerge from Squad 4,” said Eric Makowski-Burdow, EMS/Fire Program Manager for Central Lakes College. “We saw how they worked together and how they helped each other during difficult situations. They really jelled.”
And in the end, those accomplishments were publicly made known during the graduation ceremonies.
Lantz was recognized as The Most Valuable Firefighter Award and Squad 4 was selected as the Top Squad recipient. Lantz and the rest of the squad were humbled by the awards. “These people worked unbelievably hard and were awesome at it,” said Lantz.
According to Makowski-Budrow, the Minnesota State Fire Academy is gaining a lot of attention. “There’s strong interest in holding similar training programs in other parts of the state,” he said. “The great comments we’ve received speak very well of what we are doing with the academy. We are obviously very pleased.” About 30 attended this year’s academy. Makowski-Budrow says plans are underway for next year and already, former academy students say they want to attend and help out. “These former students see the value of the academy and the concepts we try to instill in them. They really don’t want to leave . They want to be a part of this because they see its value.”
Squad 4-Anthony Lieser, Elrosa FD; Jim Hipple, Virginia FD; Adam Lantz, Chisholm FD; Robert Magnuson Jr., Securitas(U.S. Steel); Paul Brown, Chisholm FD; Shane Harris, Lake Park FD; Jeremy Harding, Hackensack FD.
Propane Burn at the Minnesota State Fire Academy at Camp Ripley
Chisholm firefighters Adam Lantz and Paul Brown proudly show their Minnesota State Fire Academy awards.
Fire investigation class wraps up in Virginia
July 14, 2017 By
The Fire Investigation Class, hosted by the Virginia Fire Department, wrapped up today with students taking a practical examination at a vacant Virginia house. The examination included: reviewing a fire scene, gathering information about the fire, interviewing a possible suspect, and determining the cause of the fire. Two vacant homes in the southside area served as perfect training sites for the class. In the picture below, retired St. Paul Fire Marshal Jamie Novak portrays a “suspect” and is interviewed by the fire investigation students.
Fire deaths up from last year
July 10, 2017 By
The Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office says fire deaths in the state are up 36 percent, compared to the same time last year. Preliminary figures indicate that 30 have died, compared to 22 in 2016. According to the SFM, careless smoking is historically the leading cause of fire deaths in the state. “Each and every fire death is disturbing to us because most fire deaths are preventable. We don’t want anyone to suffer the loss of a loved one in a fire,” said Minnesota State Fire Marshal Bruce West to The Northland Fire Wire. “We need the public’s help to keep the number of fire deaths from climbing. People can keep themselves and their families safe by putting safety first and following a few simple tips.”
Some of these steps include:
Do not smoke while under the influence of drugs or alcohol or while on oxygen.
Dispose of cigarettes in a sturdy container filled with sand or water.
Don’t leave candles unattended. Better yet-use flameless candles.
Stay in the kitchen and keep an eye on what you’re cooking.
Smoke alarms save lives-but only when they work. Test your alarms monthly and change the batteries twice a year.
Virginia FD receives AFG funding
June 29, 2017 By
The Virginia Fire Separtment is receiving an Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The $60,385 is for Operations and Safety. Virginia Fire Chief Allen Lewis tells The Northland Fire Wire that the funding is for firefighter wellness and fitness programs, which includes fitness equipment and a formal fitness and injury prevention program. A certified Peer Fitness Program class is also part of the grant funding.
Virginia hosts Advanced Fire Investigation Class
June 23, 2017 By
For at least a year, the Virginia Fire Department and the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office have been working on bringing an Advanced Fire Investigation Course to the area. This past week, all that planning and hard work paid off. The weeklong class, held at the Virginia fire station, was a combination of classroom and in the field training. “We were more than happy to put this class together,” said Virginia Fire Chief Allen Lewis and Virginia Fire Marshal Chris Clark. “We had a vacant house which we were able to use for creating fire scenes and that added a lot to this educational experience.” Instructors with a wide variety of skills instructed the students in such areas as: interview techniques, scene assessment, report writing, and photography. On Tuesday, firefighters from Virginia, Eveleth, and Mountain Iron helped out by conducting live burns at the house in the southside area. “In essence, we were able to conduct two in-field training sessions,” said Clark. “We had one for the firefighters and one for the fire investigation students. This was a win-win situation all the way around.” The fire investigation students wrapped up the week by presenting their “findings” on the various fire scenes, something they would end up doing in their actual jobs as investigators. “The Virginia Fire Department has started offering regional training classes,” said Lewis. “In this class, we had students from throughout the state representing not only fire departments, but law enforcement agencies. We’re very proud we could do this.”
Firefighters from Virginia, Mountain Iron, and Eveleth create fire scenes for the fire investigation students.
Duluth Fire Captain Lisa Consie gets some camera tips from Photography Instructor Janet Nelson.
Lakeland and Mountain Iron receive AFG awards
June 23, 2017 By
The Lakeland and Mountain Iron Fire Departments are getting Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The grants were announced today.
Mountain Iron is receiving $164,524 while Lakeland is getting $53,145. Both grants are for Operations and Safety.
Dryer fire forces evacuation of Biwabik apartment building
June 21, 2017 By
June 20 – An early morning dryer fire forced the evacuation of around a dozen residents from the Laurentian Apartments in Biwabik. The fire was reported around 4:50 a.m. and firefighters from Biwabik, Biwabik Township, Aurora, Lakeland and Gilbert were dispatched. While the fire was contained to the dryer, there was concern that the fire may have extended in other parts of the building. Incident Commander and Interim Biwabik Fire Chief Mary Sprague called for the additional resources as a precautionary measure. The apartment building was filled with smoke and all of occupants were able to get out safely. The American Red Cross was called to assist the residents. No injuries were reported.
Five ducklings rescued in Virginia
June 6, 2017 By
Virginia firefighters, along with a Lake Superior College intern and Virginia police officers, rescued five ducklings yesterday from a storm drain. The incident was near the St. Louis County Courthouse in Virginia. The ducklings were not injured and were later reunited with their mother.
Photos courtesy of the Virginia Fire Department.
