LAKE VERMILION — A cabin on Meads Island on Lake Vermilion was destroyed by fire on Jan. 14, possibly the result of an untended furnace.
A passing snowmobiler spotted smoke and reported the blaze around 1:20 p.m. According to the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office, the caller stopped to investigate and found a cabin fully engulfed. It was later determined that a caretaker had started the furnace earlier in the day in advance of the property owner’s planned arrival, then left the island. The fire began inside the cabin sometime afterward. No one was inside at the time of the fire, and the structure was a total loss.
Multiple agencies responded, including the sheriff’s office, Greenwood, Breitung Township, Tower, and Cook fire departments, and Minnesota DNR. Tower Ambulance Service was on scene to provide medical standby. No injuries were reported. Smoke from the fire was visible for several miles. The cause remains under investigation, though officials said the fire is not considered suspicious.