February 14- There has been another fatal house fire in the area. According to WDIO-TV, Duluth firefighters were dispatched around midnight to a report of a person possibly inside a fully engulfed house in the Lakeside area in the 4500 block of Cooke Street. Fire crews used a thermal imaging camera to locate the unconscious man, but he died from the effects of the fire. No other injuries were reported. The home is considered a total loss. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

December 27-Several fire departments from the Virginia area were dispatched to a fire at the Silver Loon Saloon, formerly known as The Mirage Bar, in the 500 block of Chestnut Street. Arriving Virginia firefighter/paramedics found heavy smoke coming from the two story business. Firefighters from Mountain Iron, Eveleth, Fayal Township and Hibbing were also dispatched. The front of the building appeared to have the most fire damage with the rest of the building having smoke and water damage. No damage estimate is available. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is being investigated by the Virginia Fire Marshal and the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office.

Due to the dedicated and hard work of the Virginia Fire Department and the City of Virginia, the department was recently notified that it now has a Class 3 ISO rating. Previously, the department was ranked at Class 5. “This was a team effort all the way,” said Fire Chief Allen Lewis. “We had many aspects going for us including the mutual aid box alarm system, a good water supply system, and other advancements in the community’s fire protection system. I’m very proud of this achievement and it reflects well on our staff and the neighboring fire departments.”

October 26-A house fire in the 600 block of 25th Street East in Hibbing was ruled arson. The fire was reported 4;50 p.m. Fire crews from Hibbing, Chisholm and Keewatin responded. The fire was quickly knocked down, but the house had extensive damages estimated around $50,000. The home was unoccupied at the time. There were no firefighter injuries. The fire remains under investigation by Hibbing Police and the Hibbing Fire Marshal’s Office.

October 26 -Firefighters from five Iron Range communities battled an early morning house fire in Virginia’s north side area. The blaze was reported shortly after 4:30 a.m. in the 700 block of 10th Street North. 46 year old Donna Parks died in the fire while two people had burn injuries. An investigation by the Virginia Fire Department and State Fire Marshal’s Office determined that the cause of the fire was electrical in nature and accidental. It was also determined that the house had no working smoke detectors. Firefighters from Virginia, Mountain Iron, Eveleth, Fayal Township and Gilbert were on the scene for several hours.

The Pequaywan Lake Area Fire Department is receiving an Assistance to Firefighters’ Grant (AFG). The announcement was made by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The $80,924 will be used for Operations and Safety.

January 4-Virginia, Mountain Iron and Eveleth firefighters were dispatched (around 7:50 p.m.) to a report of a house fire in the 100 block of 2nd Street South in Virginia. Arriving crews found heavy smoke coming from the three story structure. The house was not occupied at the time and the fire is believed to have started in the basement. No injuries were reported. Upon investigation, the cause of the fire was determined to be suspicious.

January 7, 2016-After over 25 years of dedicated service, Virginia Fire Department Battalion Chief Francis “Buddy” Mell has retired. Mell also served as a Firefighter/Paramedic. Buddy is known as a unique individual with a “heart of gold” and his firefighting and EMS experiences could fill several books. Congratulations, Buddy!

September 19 – The Cloquet Area Fire District is receiving a $25,000 AFG from the Department of Homeland Security. The grant is for Operations and Safety.

September 14 – The Taconite and Hermantown fire departments are getting Assistance to Firefighter Grants (AFG) from the Department of Homeland Security. Hermantown is receiving $138,477 while Taconite is getting $25,996. Both grants are for Operations and Safety.