VERMILION LAKE TWP- A rural home here was destroyed by fire last Thursday afternoon, Feb. 29, as the result of an apparent chimney fire that quickly spread to the building’s attic. Paul Koslucher, who owns the property on County Rd. 26, reported the fire around 3:30 p.m.
The house was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived, and an initial attempt at an interior entry was quickly abandoned when large amounts of ammunition stashed in the house began to explode from the heat. The Vermilion Lake, Embarrass, Pike-Sandy-Britt, Tower, and Breitung fire departments and Minnesota DNR responded to the scene. The St. Louis County Sheriff’s deputies handled traffic control as traffic was blocked for a time to allow fire trucks and heavy equipment, which was used to knock down the remaining house frame, onto the scene. The Tower Area Ambulance Service provided medical standby during the incident.
No one was injured in the fire.
photo courtesty of Northland FireWire